Taylor Ours Has Overcome A Lot To Be Here Now
By: Taylor Ours
((Taylor is a Summer Associate at Jackson Kelly in 2022 and not a practicing attorney))
I did not have any legal experience when I decided to go to law school. I had just been treated for thyroid cancer and was determined to achieve the goals that I had once thought were unattainable because I had a young child. Working as a summer associate at a 200-year-old firm was not on my radar a few years ago, but I am excited about the trajectory that my life has taken. Jackson Kelly has presented a unique opportunity for me to gain exposure to the legal field outside of the classroom, and I am eager to get hands on experience in many different areas of law.
Being married with two young children, I was apprehensive that having the additional responsibilities at home would hinder me from being able to take full advantage of the opportunity to work at such a reputable firm, but I could not have been more wrong. The family-friendly atmosphere was what initially drew me to Jackson Kelly, and as the summer progresses, I have become increasingly confident that this is a great fit for me. I have received great advice from other parents at the Firm about the reality of having a successful career as an attorney while juggling the responsibilities of having children at home.
Working as a first-year summer associate has given me a taste of what life will look like after law school. Jackson Kelly has more than 160 attorneys located in offices spanning across six states and the District of Columbia, all of which can assign projects to the summer associates. Being able to work with attorneys that are located not only in the Morgantown office that I am currently in, but several of the Firm’s offices, is a fantastic opportunity to learn from people in a wide variety of fields.
I have made a conscious effort to remain openminded about what area of law I would like to eventually practice, so having the ability to accept projects in many different areas of law has been enlightening. I have learned that one area that I have become particularly interested in is studying the impact artificial intelligence and machine learning will inevitably have on the legal field. Because this is a developing area of law that is constantly changing as society becomes more dependent on machine learning algorithms, it is nice to work at a Firm that is filled with attorneys that can provide insight, advice, and recommendations on who has a shared interest in this unique field.
Overall, I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work as a first-year summer associate at Jackson Kelly. This summer has been an incredibly positive experience, and I am excited to continue to work with, and learn from, both the Firms attorneys and the other summer associates.