154: How to Break Into the Federal Reserve System as a Lawyer w/ Sarah Smith, Special Counsel [Espresso Shots]

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Sarah Smith is a Special Counsel with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, DC — with an expertise in commercial real estate, construction and business transactions. Since January 2013, Sarah has provided advice in connection with real estate, construction and general business contract matters.  Sarah leads negotiations in connection with settlement of contract disputes and structuring of agreements. She also oversees outside counsel and consulting experts in various matters. Sarah’s responsibilities also include briefing senior management, the general counsel and members of the Board in connection with contract and policy matters. Sarah brings great insights to position at the Fed that she attributes to the outside experiences she gained before starting there which included spending 10 years at Venable law firm. Sarah graduated from Michigan State with a double major in Political Science and Communication, before attending law school at Emory University. She made partner at Venable LLP where she worked for 10 years before transitioning to her career with the Fed. She is a dedicated mother of three with a passion for giving back to the community.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE

• What are the entry-level jobs for someone interested in breaking in the legal field
• Why being an excellent writer is an important skill to have
• Why your major as an undergrad doesn’t matter
• Why you may want to consider getting a joint advanced degree in the law and business
• Why the Fed is not a typical government agency
• Why you should listen to T4C episode #69 to learn more about Sarah’s current job and her career