QuisLex Introduces New Law Student Intern Program

USA/Canada News

10
Sep
2021

Editor

QuisLex, a leading alternative legal services provider long recognized as a pioneer in the industry, announces the launch of a new internship program in partnership with respected HBCU Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

As part of the program, QuisLex will educate and train law students, providing them with a well-rounded understanding of the work done by ALSPs and how the services they provide fit within the legal industry ecosystem. Armed with that knowledge, interns will be assigned to work with an established QuisLex client to gain hands-on experience in the delivery of legal services. 

Stacie Dukes is the program’s first intern and began her internship with QuisLex on August 23, 2021. She is currently a candidate for a Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center, a public law school that offers full-time, part-time and evening programs and is part of the historically black Southern University system. 

Prior to starting law school, Dukes worked for more than 10 years as a mental health counselor, providing community-based mental health counseling services to adults, children and families throughout the Metro Atlanta area. She also worked for the city of Atlanta, providing counseling services to individuals under the supervision of the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections, and has worked as a flight attendant for 20 years. In addition to her numerous academic achievements, Dukes has a passion for service to the community which she feeds with several volunteer roles. 

“With this internship program, our objective is to provide exceptional students like Ms. Dukes with the professional experience of working for an alternative legal services provider, helping them to recognize some of the nontraditional ways they may be able to apply their law degree,” says Ram Vasudevan, CEO of QuisLex. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Southern University and look forward to expanding the program to multiple interns beginning next semester.” 

Dukes is working with QuisLex client NetApp, with the support and encouragement of general counsel Beth O’Callahan and legal industry pioneer Connie Brenton. The founder and former CEO of the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, Brenton currently serves as vice president for law, technology and operations at NetApp, Inc. where she continues to champion innovation and transformation at the intersection of business and law. QuisLex was recently part of a collaborative team assembled by NetApp and overseen by Brenton to reduce the time required to process contract approvals. The collaborative effort was recognized earlier this year by the Association of Corporate Counsel when NetApp, QuisLex and the rest of the team were named among the 2021 ACC Value Champions. 

“Digital transformation is an important focus of the modern law department, but being innovative isn’t just about finding use cases for modern technology; it’s also about people and how we’re applying knowledge and skill sets in new and creative ways,” shares Brenton. “I am excited to be working with QuisLex in support of its new internship program to help expand the expectations and perspectives that new lawyers have about where and how they practice law.”