Student develops legal skills at U.S. Attorney’s Office

Summer is no break for most University of Cincinnati College of Law students. A few may relax at home, but the majority take advantage of work experiences even during a global pandemic. Second-year law student Zachary LeCompte did just this as he gained valuable experience with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

LeCompte was involved primarily in legal research and litigation preparation for both the Criminal and Civil Divisions, although he spent most of his time with the Civil Division. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office,” he explains, “handles both affirmative civil cases where the government initiates the suit, as well as defensive civil cases where the government or a government official is being sued in an official capacity.”

Zachary LeCompte, Law student

With daily work, LeCompte experienced a mix of in-person and remote work depending on his projects. He recounts, “I was also able to attend a few in-person hearings at the federal courthouse, such as criminal sentencing hearings and civil pre-trial evidentiary hearings.” However, most of his experience with litigation was remote, which included numerous virtual depositions, settlement negotiations, and witness interviews.

“I spent a lot of time researching case law,” he recalls, “covering everything from civil rights violations to unlawful possession of firearms. I would often compile the information I found into memos to serve as a reference for attorneys working on the cases.” For some cases, he would write a rough draft of a motion to serve as a reference point, containing pertinent facts and case law, for the attorney on the case.

He also helped with reviewing discovery materials, as well as organizing outlines and timelines for cases. While some cases would require a review of documents filed with the court, others would require review of thousands of emails and reports covering a span of five-plus years. Safe to say LeCompte acquired plenty of hands-on experience with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

I’m excited to get into the ‘real-world’ to help people and provide a service to my community.

Zachary LeCompte, Law student

Studying at UC Law

“I have had a great experience at UC,” LeCompte says. “My first-year had a very cooperative and cohesive feel, and I was able to establish a strong support system of friends and classmates, which I feel helped me succeed academically." He greatly values the ample opportunities to learn from and engage with local attorneys from various fields. Although his second year has looked a little different, he is grateful that he has still been able to learn and acquire skills that will prove valuable after graduation.

Looking to the future

LeCompte is excited for the opportunities that come after law school, even if he is not certain about what he wants to do quite yet. “Coming into law school,” he says, “I was not sure which area of law interested me most, and frankly I am still not positive. I have enjoyed my experiences with both the civil and criminal sides of the law, but I could definitely see myself go into litigation.”

His desire to attend the University of Cincinnati College of Law stemmed from his desire to help the people who need it. He finds meaning in his work and enjoys being mentally engaged; LeCompte says, “I’m excited to get into the ‘real-world’ to help people and provide a service to my community.” You can find information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio here.

Author: Andy Cheng, graduate student and Cincinnati Law writing assistant

Feature image at top: Scales of Justice from istockphoto.com

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