Preparing Myself for a Legal Career with a Law Internship in Madrid

Christian Sotomayer, a student at California State University, Long beach; recently completed a 2 month Law Internship in Madrid, Spain to gain diverse international career experience. He tells us about his legal internship, the task he was involved in, his memorable moments, and working towards long-term goals in the legal field.

It is interesting to think of how my mind was going into the internship that I chose in Madrid. I was at a point where I felt extremely unsure of what I wanted my future career to be. I had just graduated college and had doubts about what my next step was going to be. I asked myself questions like, “Do I want to go to Law School?” and “Am I emotionally and mentally prepared for law school?” These were a couple of the many realizations I was asking myself before I made the trek to Spain. I felt like they were extremely valid at this time in my life. But beyond the doubts and tribulations, I decided that I was going to give this field of study one more shot. I figured that the experience I will receive in Madrid will give me a new appreciation for Law that I needed.

Meeting Fernando was an instant game changer. He had this confidence, charisma, and magnetic energy that impressed me a lot. I had gathered a mental image in my mind that most attorneys were unmotivated and disliked their job, but after seeing Fernando and how energetic, vibrant, and youthful he was, I was intrigued. He greeted me with a huge smile and told me how excited he was for me to join him for 2 months.

Fernando showed me that the satisfaction of the customer is the most important aspect of the job. This spoke to me heavily because my father lived by this statement in his profession. The client is ultimately the one who puts food on the table and gives you everything you’ve worked so hard for. As a result, word of mouth is so crucial to the success of your firm or business. Fernando was a solemn believer of this claim and his positive and friendly attitude gave me hope that I too can become a lawyer just the way I wanted to.

The office experience at Fernando’s law firm was a memorable one. He had a beautiful space where his private office was dazzled with his prosperous degrees, awards, and legacies. He showed me a variety of his cases and explained to me the specific processes that go into strategically analyzing the causes, suits, and actions needed to take place. It was a very interesting hands-on treat that I was fascinated with. I have to admit, when he assigned me files to read, I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know how to attempt analyzing a 200+ page casein a matter of minutes. However, I asked an enormous amount of questions and Fernando answered all of them respectfully and patiently. Within a few weeks, my confidence and preparedness started replacing my nervousness. With his guidance and knowledge, I was able to prosper as his intern.

Outside of work, this opportunity kept getting more interesting. Being one of the finest lawyers in Madrid, Fernando was connected to a large group of attorneys, businesspeople, philanthropists, journalists, etc. He gave me a closer look into a legal campaign initiated by the team of Juango Ospina, a young prosecutor who was running to be the president of the legal society of lawyers in Madrid. This was an exciting process due to how much went into this campaign. From the personal interviews, I would see Juango participate in, the luxurious fundraisers I would be invited to.

In addition to this unique time, Fernando also introduced me to his podcast that he hosted every Monday and Friday. Having this podcast was an incredible way for us to unwind from all the stresses of work in a relaxed and intrapersonal environment. Fernando would interview people from different walks of life: politicians, musicians, journalists, actors, leaders, influencers, and much more. This was one of my favorite parts of my entire trip.

Working alongside Fernando Fanego, allowed me to find the confidence I was searching for in the professional world. He gave me a new perspective on how to be a fine lawyer but to also have a life outside of the office. The memories that I have made in Madrid have forever changed me. I am grateful that I was able to have such a gravitating experience with the career I picked for my internship. From being a bit skeptical to take part in law, I feel blessed for giving it a second chance. More importantly, I feel even luckier to have gotten Fernando to be my boss. Not only did he give me the tools to be an exceptional lawyer, but, he also gave me valuable life advice that is beneficial for a young adult to use. I take great pride in knowing that he will continue being a great friend of mine and someone who gifted me with so many memories during my time in Madrid.