Every year, Ward and Smith welcomes a new class of Summer Associates.
This year, five students from different law schools joined the firm for our six-week program designed to give them an opportunity to experience what it's like to work in a law firm while gaining valuable legal knowledge under the supervision of seasoned attorneys.
While getting firsthand experience working in the legal field, we're getting to know them better in their own words in our annual "Meet the Summer Associate Series."
Introducing Alex Ferri:
Hometown: Wake Forest
Law School: Wake Forest University School of Law
Would you like to share something about your family?
I am blessed with wonderful parents who taught me to love God and to love others from an early age. They have supported me and loved me through every season of life, and I am thankful for their guidance every day.
My older sister is caring and compassionate and has always been a great role model. She is now a nurse, and her patients are incredibly lucky!
We all love the beach and spend a lot of time in Emerald Isle, NC. We all also share a love of dogs and have 5 dogs between my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, and me.
What do you like to do in your downtime when you're not studying?
Play with my German Shepherd, Riggs, and watch Clemson football. Go Tigers!
What is your favorite movie?
"The Parent Trap." It's been my favorite since I was a kid, and I've yet to watch a movie that beats it.
What is your favorite book?
My favorite guilty pleasure book is "The Notebook," and my favorite "academic" book is "To Kill a Mockingbird."
What is your favorite food?
Mac & Cheese. I have the palate of an elementary-schooler.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Emerald Isle, NC
If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?
Oxford, UK. I spent a summer at the University of Oxford during undergrad, and it was not long enough! I would love to spend a year there exploring the rich history and taking advantage of the easy travel to nearby cities.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I am a licensed Commercial General Contractor. I spent 2 years before law school working in the construction field and loved (almost) every minute of it!
Why do you want to be an attorney?
I want to use my voice to be an advocate and to pursue justice.
What is the hardest part of law school?
The hardest, and best, part about law school is being surrounded by very intelligent, capable people. It's easy to lose sight of your own talents in a sea of talent, but it's also wonderful to have a support system that knows what you're going through.
Being around successful people also gives me more drive to be successful, myself. I learn from my friends every day, and have harnessed their intelligence to form really solid study groups! Our favorite saying is "go team!" because we truly treat all of our successes as a team win.
What's the best advice someone has given you?
To seize every opportunity I'm given and never to waste a valuable learning experience.
If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
Dog psychology- my dog and I have conversations on a daily basis. These conversations have only become more frequent in quarantine.
Western or Eastern barbecue? And why?
Eastern. Vinegar-based sauce all the way, baby!
Ward and Smith's 2021 Summer Associate Program runs through June 25.
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