Meet Miles Miller, 2L, and learn more about his story at South Texas Law in this Student Spotlight by the Career Resource Center.
Why did you choose to attend South Texas College of Law Houston?
I chose South Texas Law because of the school’s reputation in Texas. I’ve had several friends and family friends who attended STCL Houston and highly recommended the school. With their support, I decided to attend. Also… I wasn’t ready to live back home in Dallas yet.
Where are you working next summer?
I will be a summer associate (or law clerk) with Stephenson Fournier in Houston. Stephenson Fournier is a business boutique that handles mainly corporate matters and commercial real estate transactions. They have tax and estate planning services as well.
How did you secure that employment opportunity?
First, I must thank Katie Silver, Shantal Formia, and the rest of the CRC office. They helped me prepare my application materials and provided honest feedback about my interview skills.
Regarding my employment with Stephenson Fournier, I give credit to my ability to network. When On-Campus Interviewing Phase 1 was announced, I researched all the participating firms. I noticed Stephenson Fournier handled transactional matters — the type of work I wanted to experience this upcoming summer.
From there, I found an alumnus at the firm and reached out to him through email. He was nice enough to meet me for lunch one day. Once I formed that relationship, I applied through OCI, and they invited me to interview. After OCI, I received a call back and, soon after the callback interview, received the offer to work for the firm during the upcoming summer.
How did the Career Resource Center (CRC) help you successfully navigate the recruitment process?
I used the CRC to my full advantage; they were there for me in every imaginable way. The CRC provided one-on-one career counseling sessions, revisions of resume/cover letters, networking events, and mock interviews. With the help of the CRC, and by networking with alumni, I realized I wanted to focus on gaining transactional experience this upcoming summer.
What are your career goals for the future?
To continue learning. I believe you can always strive to gain more knowledge… whether about the law, your hobbies, or the people who surround you.
My goals for this upcoming summer are far and wide, but I mainly want to improve my legal writing and help businesses curate beneficial deals for all parties.
What advice would you share with future generation law students going through recruitment?
Try everything. Go to networking events, meet your classmates at the school socials, or pick up a new hobby.
Obviously, school comes first. I learned the hard way that your first semester in law school is ultimately the most important. While one semester of grades does not define the lawyer you will become, good grades make searching for employment and other opportunities so much easier. Jobs will follow if you get the work done in the classroom.
After that, work on expanding your professional network. You need to reach out to lawyers in the fields that interest you, meet or have a call with them, and form relationships with them.
And if you are given the opportunity to interview with a law firm or company, find out everything you can about the people currently working there. Learn how to use your resume to your advantage. Every firm has a different culture, so figure out the type of candidates they like to hire and then critique your resume to stand out to them as an individual. This will better prepare you for the interview process and allow you to avoid a “repeat your resume” type of interview if you can expand the conversation about your previous experiences to focus on the skills the firm desires.
Which professors have influenced you and or your career path the most?
My interest in law began with my business law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, David Quintanilla. As a lawyer, he has this unique perspective about the law that really resonated with me.
At South Texas, the most influential professor I’ve had so far has been my LRW 1 professor, D’Andra Shu. She might be surprised to hear that, but her honesty regarding my legal research and writing skills helped me tremendously. I can confidently say she was a major influence on the work product I produced this past summer.
What student organizations have you been involved with?
Currently, I am the treasurer for the Real Estate and Construction Law Society. Additionally, I am a member of CURRENTS: Journal of International Economic Law, Texas Exes, and the Oil and Gas Law Society on campus.
Beyond the Career Resource Center, how has the South Texas Law community supported your growth?
South Texas alumni form a close network. Create beneficial relationships with alumni. The alumni I have met so far have been the most encouraging and helpful people to me. I’ve gone to them when deciding about law schools, how to approach certain classes, and what professors to look for when signing up for classes. As I stated earlier, an alumnus of South Texas is part of the reason I was offered the opportunity to work for Stephenson Fournier this upcoming summer.
Thank you again to Katie, Shantal, Marie, Bianca, and Donna!
