Summer is finally here and we are thrilled to welcome summer clerks to our offices. For the first half of the summer, we welcome Carole Graffeo and Taylor Sims.
Clerks have the opportunity to attend mediations, hearings, and depositions, as well as opportunities to write and research relevant legal issues. They get a truly hands-on experience with the firm’s litigation practice. “Our clerks are able to be a part of the team for the cases they help with,” said Jim Pattillo. Pattillo serves as a mentor to the firm’s clerks to ensure they have an experience that mirrors their own future litigation practice. “We want to provide them with a realistic experience and exposure to the day-to-day practice of law, which is something law school doesn’t often provide.” The summer clerk experience is instrumental in helping law students gain a better understanding of not just the law, but the actual practice of legal work and running a successful law firm.
Carol Graffeo
Carol Graffee is a rising L2 at the University of Notre Dame Law School. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Carol graduated from Samford University with a double major in English and Religious Studies. Carol was a member of ADPi Sorority where she served two years as an officer. Additionally, she served as a Samford Student Tour Guide and was a Howard College Ambassador.
Carol grew up in a family of lawyers, in fact, her dad is a practicing attorney in Huntsville. While interested in teaching, Carol’s first love is the legal profession – specifically litigation. Her summer before entering law school, she worked at a plaintiff firm in her hometown. Carol says she is enjoying this summer working at a defense firm and seeing her classes “come to life.” Carol stated, “At Christian & Small, I am seeing my torts and legal writing classes at work as I sit in on depositions, assist with trial discovery, and work on medical chronologies. It is enlightening to see the defense side after working for a plaintiff firm last summer.”
Carol grew up in a Notre Dame family, visiting the campus throughout her childhood. When it was time to choose a law school, Notre Dame was a natural choice as it was familiar while allowing her to branch out to a new area and new experiences. In her second year at Notre Dame, Carole will serve as Assistant Rector in an undergraduate dorm while she continues her legal studies.
Taylor Sims
Taylor Sims, a 3L at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham. Originally from Mandeville, Louisiana, Taylor graduated from the University of Alabama with a major in Economics with a specialization in Public Policy and Law and a minor in Public Relations. While at the University of Alabama, Taylor was a member of Chi Omega, Capstone Men and Women, and the Student Government Association. She was an active member of XXXI, the only women’s honorary at UA that honors the 31 most influential women on campus each year.
Taylor is equally impressive in law school where she has been involved with the National Trial Team and competed in a national competition. She was elected by her peers as a L1 Student Bar Representative and Executive Secretary, served as a Caruthers Fellow, and is a member of and completed her write-on process for the American Journal of Trial Advocacy this past spring (2021).
Taylor’s clerked for Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak in Montgomery for the first half of her L1 summer and the second half for Beasley Allen. In the spring of her L2 year, she clerked part-time Price Armstrong. Taylor will be with Christian & Small for the first half of this summer and spend the second half with Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak in Mobile, Alabama.
Taylor shared, “With this opportunity, I hope to learn more about the day-to-day practice of law and emulate the C&S attorneys’ professionalism and legal acumen. Above all, I hope to cultivate genuine relationships that will extend beyond my clerkship.”
About Christian & Small
Christian & Small LLP represents a diverse clientele throughout Alabama, the Southeast, and the nation with clients ranging from individuals and closely-held businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. By matching highly experienced lawyers with specific client needs, Christian & Small develops innovative, effective, and efficient solutions for clients. With offices in Birmingham, metro-Jackson, Mississippi, and the Alabama Gulf Coast, Christian & Small focuses on the areas of litigation and business, is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, and is the only Alabama-based member firm in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Our corporate social responsibility program is focused on education, and diversity is one of Christian & Small’s core values.
No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.