1L Elisabeth Bernabe: Former Big Law Paralegal, Played Golf for Yale
Today we launch our "Meet the Class of 2023" series with Elisabeth Bernabe, 1L, who spent the last two years as a paralegal in the international trade & investment group of the Washington, D.C. office of Hogan Lovells, one of the world’s largest law firms. As an undergraduate at Yale University, she interned for a summer at a start-up in Belgium, and was a member of the women’s golf team.
For the last two years, you have been a paralegal for the international trade and investment group at Hogan Lovells, one of the world’s largest law firms. Can you please describe the nature of your work there?
As a paralegal who was primarily involved with trade remedies work, I found myself in the middle of a raging trade war. Our cases centered around unfair trade practices including either anti-dumping or countervailing duty investigations with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission.
I am interested in how policies impact individuals and the communities they live in on a global scale. Being a paralegal gave me great insight into how such policies play out in the real world. Earning a J.D. will give me the tools to cultivate my passions at a higher level.
What do you hope/plan to do with your legal education (realizing, of course, that may change during the course of your studies)?
I plan to enter the space of international human rights law in order to face global injustices and conflicts head on. Ideally, I want to be in a position where I can help those in need through what I have learned in law school.
You interned at a start-up consultancy in Brussels. What was that like, and how do you think it adds to your perspective as a future lawyer?
By interning with a small team, my experience will add to my future perspective as a lawyer since I was expected to shoulder a lot of responsibility. This took the form of communicating directly with clients (sometimes in a foreign language) and conducting research on evolving EU regulations.
Can you discuss a little bit about your interest and background in golf?
Golf has been a passion of mine since I was a child. I started competing at eight, and through various tournaments, I have traveled to 35 states and 10 countries abroad. The highlight of my golf career was competing in the U.S. Women’s Open at the age of 17.
Minnesota Law is a place known for putting an emphasis on leadership. What does leadership mean to you?
A good leader is someone who leads with both empathy and humility. Leadership means listening to and understanding the needs of others and placing those needs before any personal gain.
Law school can be stressful at times. What do you like to do for wellness or to de-stress?
A round of golf is the easiest cure for a stressful situation. However, if that is unavailable, you can find me either taking a boxing class working on my hooks and jabs or belting the latest Taylor Swift song or the soundtrack to “Hamilton.”
What three words or phrase describe(s) you best?
Outgoing, caring, driven
Do you have any interesting hobbies or leisure activities you’d like to share?
Golf, boxing, singing, listening to podcasts, long drives and road trips, attempting “Lord of the Rings” movie marathons but only getting through the first movie since they are so long, finding the best coffee shops around town (any suggestions?), Spartan Races, and a newly discovered activity, skydiving.
