Extern Ryan Selfridge '16 @ Comegno Law Group

My week with the Comegno Law Group has been an incredible experience from start to finish, and I am so grateful that I have been afforded this opportunity. There were so many different things for me to attend and learn about over the course of the five days I was here, and I count myself extremely lucky for that. The town that the office is located in is around forty minutes from where I live and I was familiar with the area, so the commute was not an issue for me.

The different experiences that I was able to observe were numerous, and I was more than happy to attend anything that I was able to. From labor negotiations between school boards and the teachers’ union to an emergent relief hearing regarding a school prom, every day I saw something new and interesting. Heading into my externship I was pretty certain about my desire to go to law school, but there was some doubt, and I had no idea what type of law would interest me the most. Coming out, I am almost completely positive that law school is what I want to do with my life. Education law is now a definite option for me, because of how interesting it was, as well as the rapport I saw between the attorneys and their longtime clients.

To be able to watch an emergent relief case essentially begin and end was the highlight of my week. The case focused on a student who wanted to bring her boyfriend of four years, a high school dropout who has a history of violence and drug problems, amongst other things, to prom at that very school. The school denied the guest during the review process, so there was a petition for emergent relief filed to allow him to attend. I was able to watch the entire case develop, and listen to the attorneys’ thoughts on it. I was able to do research on several of the court cases that were cited in the brief, and some of my notes were used in the preparation of the brief, and it was nice to see that I was able to contribute. The case culminated in litigation, with Mr. Comegno representing the school district, and it was a tremendous experience to watch an attorney as skilled and seasoned as he is argue his case.

The Comegno Law Group, P.C. has truly been great over this week. From giving personal insight to the process of applying to and going to law school, to showing me some of the nuances of being an attorney, every employee has been wonderful. Mr. Comegno has been a phenomenal host, and I was more than happy to absorb as much knowledge as he could offer. My externship has been extremely positive, and being able to attend all of these different events has been a definite learning experience, and one I plan to use when deciding on my future.