“He Had Been up All Night Preparing for This Case.”
IK: Hi, my name is Israel Katz, and I am a 2L at Brooklyn Law School, and I am interning here at Adam Leitman Bailey , P.C..
JG: Hi, I’m Joshua Goldstein, I attend the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. I am about to become a 3L, and I work here at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C..
Q. What are you working on here at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C.?
IK: So, my primary focus here has been the litigation department, although I did have one or two cases in the transactional department but mainly litigation. I have represented title companies, mortgage lenders, co-op and condominium representation, really across the gamut of real estate.
JG: I primarily work for the transactional department. I attend a ton of closings, usually I go representing the bank as a bank attorney. I’ve gone to closings representing the buyer, representing the co-op, and that’s primarily what I do.
Q. Who have you been working with at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. and how have they influenced your law career?
IK: So I’ve worked with several attorneys here, John Desideiro is one. All of them have had massive influence, I would say on my career. First of all, to start with one attorney; this attorney has this incredible work ethic and his preparedness and the way he conducts himself when he’s preparing memos and for trial was incredible to watch. You know, one case I was working on with him, he sent me an email at three in the morning, with an assignment for the next morning. I walked into his office at 9am the next morning, after I received that email, and he was blurry eyed and he informed me that he’d been up all night preparing for this case. I was blown away by that dedication.
JG: So, I work primarily with Rosemary and Faye, sometimes with Andrew. They are the hardest working people I have ever seen. They are so on top of their work, they reply to emails right away, this is what makes them the best, this is what makes Adam Leitman Bailey one of the top Real Estate law firms in the city. They just love what they do, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Q. How do think this experience compares to working at a larger firm?
IK: I’ve never actually worked in a large law firm, but I have friends at larger law firms. From what I’ve heard, the responsibility that you are given at larger law firms is very minimal, to put it mildly. At Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. you’re thrown right into the thick of things, you’re given real responsibility, real assignments here, and that’s what makes it a truly great learning experience.
JG: I believe the biggest difference is that you get more practical experience at this kind of size law firm as opposed to a bigger size. I don’t think I would attend any closings, get as much attention, get as much work, if I was at a bigger law firm.
Q. What was your favorite moment during your time here at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C.?
IK: One of my first assignments here was with one of the senior litigation heads, and it was a time crunch where he gave me a very hard deadline, and I actually had to work on that assignment over the weekend, and I put in a lot of hours. I was somewhat nervous, it being my first assignment, and after I asked for some feedback, and he actually informed me that this was one of the best written memos he has ever seen from a law student at this firm. I was completely blown away. That had to be the best moment here, the validation in it, it showed that I could do this.
Q. What is it about the firm culture at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. that intrigues you the most?
JG: What I love about the firm is everyone is beyond friendly and super nice and everyone’s door is always open. I feel comfortable asking any single person in this office any question, no matter how dumb or stupid it is. I think that is one of the major things here, everyone is so humble and so kind, even just passing by everyone has a smile on their face, it’s just a great place to work.
IK: I agree wholeheartedly, I think the synergy and the collegiality at this firm is second to none and people here are remarkably friendly, remarkably helpful, and it really helps when you’re being given these tough assignments and sometimes it can feel overwhelming. You can walk into a partner’s office or an associate’s office and kind of talk it over with them, and they’re always welcoming, always offering great advice.
Q. Do you have any advice for incoming legal interns/externs?
IK: If you want to work here, get ready to work hard, and be challenged. Keep your focus, keep your drive and you’ll be successful. But if you’re looking for a firm where you can just take it easy over the summer, coast in and out, then Adam Leitman Bailey is not for you.
JG: I would say also stay positive, stay focused, you have to keep that good high energy up and you always need to have a positive mindset, because you do get critiqued, but it’s always constructive criticism, but you can’t let that break you down. You have to know that they’re doing this to help you be better, make you stronger, and to make you the best possible lawyer you could possibly be.
Q. Would you recommend the Summer Associate program to other law school students?
JG: I would 100% recommend this position or this internship to other law school students. I think it’s a tremendous place to work. You could learn so much, there’s so many different departments, so many different interesting things in the real estate world and I still have so much to learn and gain from this place, that’s why I want to continue working here next semester which I will be.
IK: Yeah, I would say that Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. is a household name in the Real Estate world, and if you’re interested in Real Estate law, this is a great place to start. You get to work with seasoned litigators who have been around the block, real professionals. It’s a phenomenal experience and a great place to work in the summer.