Career Paths: Rheise Berro ’25L After graduation, Rheise Berro will work in the Asset Management group at Ropes & Gray in Washington, D.C.

Rheise Berro ’25L

Rheise Berro ‘25L was born in Trabuco Canyon, California before his family eventually moved to Stevensville, Montana. He attended George Washington University, where he received a B.S. in Economics and Political Science. After college, he worked as a paralegal in the D.C. area for a little over a year. At W&L, Rheise is on the Washington and Lee Law Review. After graduation, Rheise will work at Ropes & Gray in the Washington, D.C. office as an associate in the Asset Management practice, working on regulated funds, private funds, derivatives, and regulatory work.

Did you know coming into law school that you wanted to work in this field?

Not specifically, but I knew I wanted to do transactional work. After learning more about the practice area, I realized it would be a great fit given my interests and my background in Economics.

What role did the size and location of the firm play in the search and decision process?

I always knew I wanted to end up back in D.C. following graduation. As for size, I was attracted by the smaller size of the D.C. office when compared to some other big law offices.

Was there anything in your law school or summer job experience that confirmed this career choice?

When I was a summer associate at Ropes last summer, I distinctly remember joining one of the partners for a client board meeting. It was interesting to see the process of a deal from the board’s perspective, and it highlighted the importance of a funds attorney’s work in those deals.

What classes do you think are helpful to prepare for this job?

Business Associations and Mergers and Acquisitions are helpful courses for anyone interested in transactional work generally. While they don’t focus on asset management, both courses touch on some of the major rules affiliated with the practice.

Can you describe the job search process?

The job search process for law firms has changed a lot in the past couple years, as firms are hiring earlier and earlier. My advice is to apply to firms as soon as you can and update your application once your latest grades come out. It’s also really important to network as much as possible, ideally reaching out to W&L alums at each firm you apply to.

What are you most looking forward to about this job?

I’m really looking forward to learning more about finance generally. I’ve always had a great interest in finance, and the Asset Management practice revolves around many complex financial tools and deals, meaning its attorneys become very well-versed in the finance world. I also really enjoyed working with the attorneys in my practice this last summer, and I look forward to working with them again soon!