Senior, political science major interns at Ferguson Law Firm
February 21, 2022 | by Natalie Frels-Busby
Â鶹ӳ»Ó°Òô’s Ali Hamza, a senior and major, says he was beyond excited when he received the news in early September that he had procured an internship with the .
He first learned about the internship after reaching out to the firm and touching base with Tim Ferguson.
“There are many lawyers at the firm that graduated from Â鶹ӳ»Ó°Òô, so the process of building a connection went smoothly,” Hamza said.
Now, as a legal clerk, his role ranges from managing files and sending out authorizations to overlooking briefs and original petitions.
The most exciting thing, he noted, is seeing the outcome of the team’s efforts.
“Legal work can be tedious and jading, but when the results come, and they do, everyone sees its worth,” Hamza said.
For the Â鶹ӳ»Ó°Òô senior, who is also minoring in legal studies, this internship is invaluable to his future, he said.
“It is the next step in my legal career. My internship is where I get to apply key concepts and skills I learned in the classroom,” he said. “On the other hand, I am learning things that cannot be experienced in the classroom, such as case-specific legal strategies or learning to deal with clients.”
Hamza also offered advice to students or future Cardinals who may be considering an internship.
“Apply, apply, apply,” he said. “Growth can only come when you push yourself to learn and do new things. The whole point of an internship is to immerse yourself in the day-to-day activities in the career you hope to pursue. Internships are where you can learn things that cannot be taught in the classroom. If it were not the case, an internship is as useful as a Google search.”
For Hamza, the future looks bright as he plans to attend law school.
“I have been accepted to the University of Texas School of Law and (was) interviewed by Georgetown Law School, but I am waiting to hear back from a few other schools before I make my decision,” he said.
For more information about the Â鶹ӳ»Ó°Òô Political Science program, visit www.lamar.edu/arts-sciences/political-science.
He first learned about the internship after reaching out to the firm and touching base with Tim Ferguson.
“There are many lawyers at the firm that graduated from Â鶹ӳ»Ó°Òô, so the process of building a connection went smoothly,” Hamza said.
Now, as a legal clerk, his role ranges from managing files and sending out authorizations to overlooking briefs and original petitions.
The most exciting thing, he noted, is seeing the outcome of the team’s efforts.
“Legal work can be tedious and jading, but when the results come, and they do, everyone sees its worth,” Hamza said.
For the Â鶹ӳ»Ó°Òô senior, who is also minoring in legal studies, this internship is invaluable to his future, he said.
“It is the next step in my legal career. My internship is where I get to apply key concepts and skills I learned in the classroom,” he said. “On the other hand, I am learning things that cannot be experienced in the classroom, such as case-specific legal strategies or learning to deal with clients.”
Hamza also offered advice to students or future Cardinals who may be considering an internship.
“Apply, apply, apply,” he said. “Growth can only come when you push yourself to learn and do new things. The whole point of an internship is to immerse yourself in the day-to-day activities in the career you hope to pursue. Internships are where you can learn things that cannot be taught in the classroom. If it were not the case, an internship is as useful as a Google search.”
For Hamza, the future looks bright as he plans to attend law school.
“I have been accepted to the University of Texas School of Law and (was) interviewed by Georgetown Law School, but I am waiting to hear back from a few other schools before I make my decision,” he said.
For more information about the Â鶹ӳ»Ó°Òô Political Science program, visit www.lamar.edu/arts-sciences/political-science.