Recent Graduate Julie Berkshire Plans on Being a General Counsel for a Major Corporation

Personal Life

Julie M. Berkshire is a December 2013 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law (UNLCL). She is interested in several different areas of the law, including contracts, oil & gas law, sports & entertainment law, securities, and civil litigation, with plans on becoming a General Counsel for a Major Corporation. Julie was recently admitted to practice law in the great state of Texas. She is currently a professional soccer player for Íþróttafélagið Höttur in Egilsstaðir, Iceland, and looks forward to practicing law in the Lone Star State.
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Julie was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She grew up with her three brothers. Julie is grateful to have ten aunts and uncles and fifteen cousins. When asked about how supportive her parents have been she said when she got the opportunity to play soccer overseas, her mother was her greatest influence. Julie added, "My father was very supportive of me throughout law school, especially during my first year. Since he is an attorney, he helped me prepare for the legal profession."

Julie graduated with her Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration and minored in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 2010. She earned an athletic scholarship and was an exceptional soccer player for the Cornhuskers (fall 2006 to spring 2010). Julie made the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll and she served as a volunteer for Teammates Mentor from 2008 to 2010. In 2008, she served as a volunteer speaker for the Student Athlete Advisory Counsel. In the spring of 2009 and 2010, Julie was an Honor Medallion Award Recipient at the Student-Athlete Academic Recognition Banquet and she made the Academic All-Big 12 First Team during those same years. She also served as a donor relations specialist for the University of Nebraska Athletic Department (May 2009 to July 2011).

At UNLCL, Julie was a member of the Women's Law Caucus and the Sports & Entertainment Law group (August 2011 to December 2013). She also was a member of the Library Committee (spring 2013 to fall 2013).

From July 2012 to November 2013, Julie served as head coach for the Elite Player Academy in Lincoln, Nebraska. She planned and executed practices for two Under-12 girls' teams each week. Julie also instructed players on fundamental soccer skills and demonstrated new techniques.

In August 2013, Julie served as a law student extern for the University of Nebraska Athletic Compliance in Lincoln, Nebraska. According to her LinkedIn profile, she "researched applicable bylaws and drafted memoranda regarding violations, recruiting, team travel, official visits, social media, scholarships, and facility use for compliance officers." Julie "analyzed secondary infractions cases and educational columns and applied to pending student athlete reinstatement cases." She was also responsible for primarily researching questions the compliance officers had regarding current violations by the athletic department or questions coaches brought to compliance regarding current NCAA rules.

From August 2013 to November 2013, Julie served as law student intern for The Mediation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. She conducted interviews and gathered information from potential clients. Julie prepared case files, scheduled and attended mediations. She re-organized and updated a divorce-parenting manual for The Mediation Center's parenting classes. Julie also primarily served as a liaison between clients and mediator during interviews and mediations.

From August 2013 to December 2013, Julie served as a student attorney for the University of Nebraska Civil Clinic in Lincoln, Nebraska. She served as counsel under the supervision of faculty attorneys for a variety of civil cases including bankruptcy, landlord/tenant, divorce, and adoption. Julie handled all client interviews, contacts, and correspondence. She also drafted complaints, responses, pre-trial motions, and negotiated with opposing counsel.

From May 2013 to August 2013, Julie served as a summer clerk for Gauntt, Earl & Binney LLP, in The Woodlands, Texas. She conducted legal research and prepared and drafted memoranda on a variety of civil cases. Julie analyzed insurance policy coverage issues and conducted research on applicable case law. She drafted motions for summary judgment, affidavits, and coverage opinions. Julie also attended and observed client meetings, mediations, and civil trials.

From May 2014 to August 2014, Julie served as a professional soccer player for Íþróttafélagið Höttur in Egilsstaðir, Iceland. She earned a starting role on a competitive team as a center midfielder. Julie served as a role-model to the Höttur organization and the community of Egilsstaðir. She also participated in numerous community outreach projects.

When Julie isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing soccer, and staying fit. She also loves to travel and read.

Julie's Academic Law Career and Future Aspirations

Why did Julie go into the law? "I want to help people."

What are the areas of the law she hopes to practice? "I hope to gain experience in many different areas. Some of the most interesting to me are contracts, oil & gas law, sports & entertainment law, securities, and civil litigation."

Julie shared her aims and aspirations. "My first goal would be to meet or exceed the expectations of the job I'm applying for. Once I've mastered my job, I want to put my experience to good use and move to a more prominent role within a firm or corporation."

Are there any particular achievements that she would like to share? "One of the most rewarding activities I have been involved in was being a Teammates Mentor, a program in Nebraska that places student athletes with elementary school children to spend time with each other each week. As a student athlete, you are a role-model in your community, but it's more rewarding to spend one-on-one time with young kids that look up to you."

What are Julie's key accomplishments? "I believe one of my biggest accomplishments is earning a college scholarship to play soccer at the University of Nebraska. I'm also proud of passing the Texas Bar Exam and playing professional soccer overseas."

She then discussed the key skills and strengths that she will use to further her career goals. "Strong interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, a hard work ethic, and my time management skills."

As for her weakness, Julie admitted, "Sometimes I spend more time than is necessary on a task, or on tasks that could be delegated to someone else."

Law school can be stressful at times, so she shared how she relieves stress. "My favorite and most effective stress reliever is working out."

How does Julie handle new assignments? "I like to be continuously learning, so new assignments are a fun challenge for me. Usually I look for any past similar assignments to see what needs to be done and make necessary changes as I begin the researching and writing process."
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Where does she derive her confidence? "My confidence comes from being part of an athletic team for a majority of my life growing up. Being on a team to me means competing at the highest level for your teammates. Having the responsibility to play for your teammates carries a lot of weight and it helped shape me into who I am today."

Three Wishes to Live By, Health and Family Comes First, Most Influential Traveling Experience, Coping with Fear and Facing Obstacles

If Julie had three wishes, what would she wish for? "1. To have a job that I love, so that I never have to work a day in my life. 2. To have the ability to travel and explore new places throughout my life. 3. Wisdom."

What is her top priority outside of work? "Family and living an active healthy lifestyle."

Does Julie have a most influential traveling experience? She explained:

"I am fortunate in that my family loves to travel and I have seen so many interesting places with them. One of the most unique traveling experiences I had was visiting Costa Rica. I got to see several different cities and towns. Part of my stay was on a wildlife reserve, where we had only the necessities and stayed in cabins with no air conditioning. Another place I visited was a small school in a town near the Arenal Volcano. My family donated supplies to repaint the small school house, and spent the day painting along with all of the children. The school children and the workers on the wildlife reserve all lived very differently than how we are used to living in the United States, yet, they were all very happy with the few things they did have. It taught me a lot about how fortunate I was to have a great education when many children do not even have access to computers to aid in their learning."

In regard to handling fear, Julie stated, "Nothing great comes from living in your comfort zone, I prefer to overcome fear by doing the things that I fear most."

Has she faced any obstacles in her life? "I have had some very difficult to please employers and coaches. I always want my work to be above and beyond what is expected, and with a few employers I have had to change my perspective and work product to fit their requirements."

Legal Role Models, Personal Philosophy, People You Want to Surround Yourself With and Favorite Quote

Does Julie have any legal role models? "My late grandfather, Robert Berkshire; He practiced law his entire life, I always looked up to him because of his work ethic, leadership and integrity."

What is her personal philosophy? "There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

What does Julie believes holds more truth in light of her personal philosophy. Was it fate or choice? "Choice. Because the decisions you make shape the opportunities in your life."

What kind of situations and people is she attracted to and what kind does she avoid? "I'm attracted to intellectual and motivated people who are willing to try new things." As for situations and people to avoid, Julie said, "I avoid lazy and unmotivated people."

Her favorite quote is "There are never failures - only gained experience, wisdom, knowledge and lessons in life."

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