Note: Each summer, Nebraska Appleseed is fortunate to work with a number of bright, talented law clerks and interns. This is one of a series of posts that feature Appleseed’s clerks and interns discussing their backgrounds and experiences.
Name: Bri McLarty
Position: Law Clerk
Hometown: Bri was a self-described “military brat” growing up, but her parents retired in San Antonio, Texas, where her mother still lives. She has lived in Lincoln for the past eight years, the longest Bri has lived anywhere.
About Bri: Bri graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with a degree in Political Science in 2008. She has worked for a State Senator’s office and at Planned Parenthood of the Heartland as a regional organizer doing issue advocacy and political fundraising. She is about to begin her second year at University of Nebraska College of Law. She is involved in local politics and member of a bowling league.
Why Appleseed?: “I had a chance to meet Appleseed staff while working at the Legislature and had a couple friends that interned here as undergrads. They always talked so highly of the organization and the issues that they had a chance to work with. I met now-State Senator Kate Bolz (a former Appleseed staff member) when she was running for office, and you could see Appleseed’s influence in the issues she campaigned on, especially programs to help low-income families in Lincoln and job-training. Getting to know Kate, and then learning more about Appleseed, when the opportunity came to be a law clerk, I felt like it was a good niche. I got to use my degree and what I learned in law school, but in the familiar setting of a non profit, so it wasn’t too scary for my first legal job.
“The research I’ve done here is something I’ve already gained from. We do a little bit in Law School, but it is very structured. In Foundational Legal Skills, the adjuncts point us in the right direction and focus on issues with a lot of ruling case law. Getting the assignments here is basically two sentences of ‘this is what I want; this is the answer I need’, and then you just do it. I’ve definitely improved my research skills and have had the opportunity to use things like treatises and briefs, when before it was just the ruling case law, so you learn to incorporate different documents of legal work to actually craft an argument.
Future Plans: “Finishing law school is the first (and practically only) priority. Also, getting as many other experiences as I can, like clerkships. Appleseed was just the best place to start because there’s so much I get to learn and so many different areas I get to focus on. Ideally, I would like to be executive director of a non-profit. I’m a people person. I enjoy the research we’re doing here, but I am looking forward to future jobs that incorporate the interpersonal aspect of the legal field. I’m thinking something where I get to talk to clients and interact with people on a daily basis.”