Vivian Fernandez, ’25

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, New York

Before law school, I was a litigation paralegal, which solidified my desire to pursue a career in Big Law with a focus on international law. This led me to working in the litigation department at Gibson Dunn during my 2L summer, where I had the opportunity to use my legal training and Spanish skills on an international arbitration matter involving sunken treasure from an 18th century galleon. I’m looking forward to returning to Gibson Dunn following graduation.

Early on in law school, I shared my career hopes with Ramji Kaul, the assistant dean for career planning in the Office of Career Planning (OCP), and worked closely with him to achieve my goals. He was particularly helpful in reviewing my résumé, conducting practice interviews, and simply chatting about the Big Law market.

I also took advantage of the networking opportunities OCP organized, which helped me connect with Gibson Dunn. After some preliminary research, I knew I was interested in the firm’s litigation practice and had identified a Michigan Law alumna doing the international arbitration work I aspired to. As it turns out, that very alumna attended Meet the Employers, a networking event for 1Ls that the Law School sponsors. Meeting with her only reinforced my goals.

The help I received from OCP truly complemented the work I was doing in my classes. Michigan Law has a really robust international law program. I’ve also received great direction from Professor Julian Arato with my own research, which I presented as part of the Salzburg Cutler Fellows Program in Washington, DC, this winter.

Throughout law school, Michigan Law has been a really wonderful ally as I focused on my career goals. 

Vivian Fernandez, ’25

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