From Clerk To Counsel: Kyra Burke’s Journey At MFL

Kyra: Oftentimes in larger firms, new attorneys are thrown into the fire and expected to learn by doing in real-time, even if it means making mistakes. Not only is this a disservice to clients, but it also seems super overwhelming. Instead of that sink or swim system, MFL’s Law Clerk program provides new attorneys with family-law-specific knowledge on components including ethics, written communication, and advocacy. Getting to walk through every step of a family law case and learning both substantive and practical skills not only helped me gain confidence but also gave me the foundation to effectively advocate for my clients from the start.

Kyra: It was extremely valuable to get to shadow so many different attorneys in a wide variety of proceedings. Law school provides a strong foundation in legal theory, but shadowing gave me insight into the day-to-day realities of being a family law attorney. I got to observe how lawyers performed, the pressures they faced, and how they interacted with clients and colleagues. Witnessing MFL attorneys in action also allowed me to see how they applied legal knowledge to real-world situations.

Kyra: My relationship with Ami went beyond merely giving and receiving advice. Ami shared her experience and insights, offered constructive feedback, and pushed me to think critically and beyond my immediate perspective. I felt comfortable asking questions without judgment, and Ami always provided helpful and direct feedback. Ami also made it clear from the beginning that she is a cheerleader in my corner, and always celebrated my successes!

Ami helped me navigate the transition from law school to practical lawyering by helping me hone essential skills like client communication, negotiation strategies, and trial prep. She provided guidance on ethical conduct and built confidence in my abilities by offering practice tips and thorough advice.

Kyra: The MFL Law Clerk program worked as a transition to bridge the gap between legal theory in law school and the practical lawyering skills necessary to best assist clients. The program targeted specific skills that directly impact decision-making. Mastering these skills taught me how to approach situations more strategically. By incorporating real-world scenarios into training, I got to apply my knowledge and skills in an enclosed environment. This allowed me to develop comfort and confidence in making decisions under pressure.

Kyra: The feedback and assessments I received helped create a roadmap for my professional growth that I still keep in mind today. The feedback helped me identify areas where I excel and those that require improvement. This allowed me to set targeted goals for development and learning. Ami and I often adjusted my learning trajectory based on my feedback, which helped customize the training program to my needs. This helped maximize my learning and development efforts.

Kyra: The post-bar program clarified MFL’s values, mission, and overall work style. This helped me understand the expectations and norms that guide daily interactions and decision-making within the organization. The program also involved a lot of introductions to colleagues, supervisors, and key personnel. This allowed me to foster a sense of belonging and helped me build rapport with MFL employees.

Kyra: It was nerve-wracking waiting for the bar exam results. During that time, it was nice to receive so many reassurances from co-workers who had been in my shoes waiting for results. I felt like I had the support and encouragement of the whole team behind me!

Kyra: My transition to associate attorney has been exciting! With such a robust training program, I felt ready to hit the ground running. That being said, I didn’t feel abandoned after I made the transition. It felt nice knowing that I could still rely on my mentor and the rest of the team for questions and support.

I am also really thankful to the team at Modern Family Law for making the transition so smooth. The team took a lot of the stress of being a new attorney off of my plate by handling intake and administrative tasks so I could just focus on my clients.

Kyra: There are a lot more direct interactions with clients compared with when I was a law clerk. I was glad that I had observed so many client interactions with other attorneys, and had practiced simulated interactions with Ami. Because of these training opportunities, I felt ready to step into the role of direct interaction.

Managing billable hours is something new for every new attorney. The training program helped prepare me for billable hours by sprinkling in billable assignments to training. This helped me practice tracking my time and writing billing entries. I received feedback on how to divide my time, which helped me in the transition with handling my caseload.

Kyra: Attorneys need to build trust and rapport with clients, understand their needs and goals, and gather relevant information. Training included role-playing exercises with simulated client interactions. I received feedback on my communication style, active listening, and information-gathering techniques. These skills helped prepare me for handling real client cases.

The program also included timed simulations of court appearances. These simulations portrayed real-world examples of courtroom interactions which helped me prepare for the real deal. This experience provided me with a risk-free environment to practice courtroom procedures, opening statements, witness examination, and closing arguments, which helped me build confidence and familiarity with courtroom dynamics.

Kyra: The learning journey is never over! Next, I want to start considering different areas of specialization to focus on- I would love to find a nuanced area of family law to dive into deeper. I also look forward to helping mentor incoming post-bar clerks with their learning journey.

Most importantly, I look forward to continuing to offer steadfast, compassionate legal assistance to all my clients. 

Kyra: The great thing about Modern Family Law is that all attorneys, and not just post-bar clerks, have a plethora of learning resources and opportunities to continue developing our skills. Ami and the rest of the Learning & Development team are always creating new modules and scheduling guest speakers who provide additional words of wisdom and practice skills. I plan on taking advantage of all that the Learning & Development team has to offer. Not only are these opportunities great for my own personal career growth, but also help our clients receive increasingly excellent legal services.

Kyra: Dive in! The more you soak in during training, the easier and more prepared you will be to handle your caseload. Don’t be afraid to message attorneys at all offices asking for shadowing opportunities. Take advantage of the time you have to practice and gain expertise.