Summer Experience: Nina Dascoli ’27L This summer, Nina Dascoli worked as a Litigation Summer Associate at Holland & Knight LLP in their New York office.

Nina Dascoli ’27L

Nina Dascoli ‘27L is a third-year law student from Charleston, West Virginia. She is an active member of the W&L community, serving as a Rachford Fellow for the Office of Career Strategy, the Negotiations Competition Co-Chair for the Moot Court Executive Board, a W&L Law Ambassador, the Merchandise Chair of the Women Law Students Organization, an Events Director for the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Lecture Board, and as a Head Czar of the Law School Football League. This past summer Nina worked as a Litigation Summer Associate at Holland & Knight LLP in their New York office. After law school, Nina will start her legal career at Holland & Knight’s New York office as a first-year litigation associate.

What did you do for work this summer?

I worked as a summer associate in Holland & Knight LLP’s New York office, primarily completing assignments for attorneys in the Litigation and Construction practice groups. My work included legal research and writing, discovery, motion practice, and trial preparation across a variety of substantive areas.

How did you find/get this position?

At the beginning of my 1L spring, I began reaching out to W&L Law and undergraduate alumni working at large law firms in New York City. Rather than approaching those conversations solely as part of my job search, I focused on building relationships and learning from alumni about their experiences practicing in New York. Through that process, I connected with an associate in Holland & Knight’s New York office, who introduced me to several other litigators and W&L Law graduates at the firm. Those relationships ultimately led to an interview and my summer associate position. Beyond the opportunity to spend my summer at H&K, the process also gave me a life-long mentor who has continued to be an important resource throughout law school and my professional development.

Describe your work experience.

As a litigation summer associate at H&K, I had the opportunity to see the research and writing skills I have developed at W&L Law put to use in practice. Having that foundation allowed me to quickly adapt to assignments involving a wide range of substantive areas, including intellectual property, employment, aviation, construction, and contractual disputes. I drafted research memoranda and pretrial motions, assisted with discovery, and helped prepare for and attended motion hearings.

One of the most exciting and unexpected parts of my summer was the opportunity to work with the Construction group as its attorneys prepared for a state court trial. Because so much civil litigation is resolved before trial, I particularly valued the chance to see what happens when a case actually reaches that stage. I enjoyed supporting the attorneys as they prepared for trial and seeing how the research, writing, discovery, and strategic decisions made throughout a case ultimately come together before heading to the courtroom.

What were some skills you developed this summer?

This summer reinforced for me the importance of active, intentional communication, particularly when managing the workload of a junior attorney. Whenever I received an assignment, I tried to speak directly with the assigning partner or associate, whether in person or over Teams, to discuss the purpose of the project, the expected turnaround time, the attorney’s preferences for the work product, and any additional context that would help me approach the assignment effectively. Those conversations taught me that asking thoughtful questions at the outset often makes both the work itself and the final product significantly stronger.

I also learned that communication and workload management are closely connected. As I began balancing multiple assignments, the relationships I had developed with attorneys made it easier to communicate about competing deadlines, priorities, and expectations. Those conversations also became opportunities to build professional relationships and mentorships across the firm. By the end of the summer, I came to understand that being a strong junior attorney is not just about producing strong work product; it is also about being someone colleagues can rely on to communicate clearly, manage responsibilities thoughtfully, and ask the right questions.

What was your favorite aspect of this summer work experience?

My favorite aspect of the summer was feeling that the work I was doing at Holland & Knight was genuinely adding value and that the attorneys saw me not simply as a law student, but as a member of their teams. Working in a big law firm as a law student can be intimidating, particularly when you are working alongside attorneys handling significant matters for major clients and industry leaders. What I appreciated most about H&K was how quickly the attorneys gave me opportunities to contribute in meaningful ways. They asked for my thoughts on issues in their cases, engaged with my analysis, and valued the conclusions I reached in my work product. As their confidence and trust in me grew, so did my confidence in my own abilities and judgment as a future attorney. That trust motivated me to take greater ownership of my work and perform at my best throughout the summer. Holland & Knight’s emphasis on learning, mentorship, and collaboration also reminded me of the community at W&L Law, where people invest in one another’s development while still holding each other to high standards. That shared commitment to supporting one another and striving for collective excellence was one of the most meaningful parts of my summer experience.

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

Yes! I have accepted an offer to return to Holland & Knight in New York as an associate in the Litigation practice group and am very excited to begin work next fall.

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

This experience has further solidified my interest in complex commercial litigation as I head into my final year at W&L Law. I plan to be intentional about taking courses that will sharpen the skills I will need as a first-year associate while taking advantage of every opportunity to gain courtroom experience and continue developing as an advocate. My summer at H&K has also shaped how I hope to advise other students as a Rachford Fellow with the Office of Career Strategy. My own experience showed me the value of building genuine relationships with alumni and approaching the job search as an opportunity to find not only the right work, but also the right professional community. I hope to encourage other students to seek out firms and organizations where they feel the same sense of mentorship, collaboration, and investment in their growth that makes W&L Law such a special community.