Summer Experience: Keltin Serio ’25L This past summer, Keltin Serio worked for international human rights firm Saccucci & Partners in Rome, Italy.

Keltin Serio ’25L

Keltin Serio ’25L is a third-year law student at Washington and Lee and is originally from Moberly, Missouri. He is an active member of the W&L Law community serving as Co-President of the International Law Society and Vice President of Internal Affairs for the Federalist Society. This past summer he spent his time working for the international human rights firm Saccucci & Partners in Rome, Italy. After law school, he plans on starting his legal career in his home state of Missouri.

How did you find this position?

I found this position with the help of Professors Mark Drumbl and Speedy Rice, without whom this experience would not have been possible.

Describe your work experience.

I worked alongside the other trainee attorneys doing legal research and writing applications for cases concerning a variety of human rights violations that were being brought before the European Court of Human Rights and the various United Nations Committees.

What were some skills you developed this summer?

Over the course of the summer, I worked on gaining a greater understanding of how international legal organizations work and how they interact with domestic legal systems. I was additionally able to work on cross cultural understanding while improving my spoken and written Italian skills.

What surprised you about the work you did this summer?

I was most surprised about the sheer scope of human rights law and the number of cases that are being brought before international tribunals. I came into the summer believing that international human rights law was a very narrow field, but as I gained more work experience, it became clear that there is much more going on in this space than I originally believed.

What was your favorite aspect of this summer work experience?

My favorite aspect of this experience was without a doubt the amazing attorneys and trainees I had the good fortune to work with at Saccucci & Partners. Everyone I met truly cared about both my personal and professional experience in Italy and went out of their way to ensure that I got as much as I could out of my time there.

Has this experience helped you figure out post graduate plans, and if so, how?

This experience definitely complicated my post graduate plans as it gave me an interest in a whole new area of law that I had previously never seriously considered. While it has not given me clarity in my post graduate plans, it has given me more options and more to consider.

How do you think this experience will shape the rest of your time at W&L Law?

I believe this experience will give me a more nuanced view of the law given that I was able to get exposure to and experience with an entirely different legal system.