Ty Turley Trejo
Mentee
Vanderbilt Law School
Class of 2021
“I love picking their brains and being able to ask them any questions—about their journey, their practice, and even how they balance their personal lives with such demanding careers. As a first-generation lawyer I have been craving mentors during law school. TAP has provided that for me. I look forward to taking those relationships with me as my career continues.”
Tell us about your interest in appellate work and why you decided to join this Mentorship Program.
I came into law school with a very targeted focus to become a transactional music/entertainment attorney. I planned on working at a firm after which I planned to transition in-house at some large company. Moot Court changed all of that; it was a watershed experience. I fell in love with the deep, analytical research and writing and especially the oral advocacy. It was a wonderful thrill and challenge, especially when we had to switch sides with only a few days’ notice. I had a similar experience on Vanderbilt’s National Moot Court Team, which solidified my desire to practice appellate law if given the opportunity. I applied for TAP to increase my network, specifically in the appellate world, and to learn more about what a real appellate career looks like.
What has it been like working with your mentor/mentee? Is there an experience you particularly enjoyed, something significant you learned, etc.?
Both of my mentors are former Supreme Court clerks who work in their firm’s Appellate Practice group. I’m not sure where else I would have been able to be connected to such awesome mentors. I love picking their brains and being able to ask them any questions—about their journey, their practice, and even how they balance their personal lives with such demanding careers.
What is something you will take with you from this experience? It could be appellate-related or more broad, such as something you realized about yourself, mentorship, etc.
As a first-generation lawyer I have been craving mentors during law school. TAP has provided that for me. I look forward to taking those relationships with me as my career continues.
Roman Martinez
Mentor
Partner, Latham & Watkins
“Participating in the program confirmed for me how important and rewarding it is to work with talented younger folks who are coming up through the ranks. We’ve all had successes and made mistakes in our careers, and it’s a great feeling to pass along some of the lessons learned and hopefully have an impact (however small) in someone else’s life.”
Tell us about your interest in appellate work and why you decided to join this Mentorship Program.
I’ve been lucky to work as an appellate lawyer ever since graduating law school, including in my clerkships, as an associate (and now partner) at Latham & Watkins, and during a three-plus year stint at the Solicitor General’s office at DOJ. I love being an appellate specialist because it lets me be a generalist and work in all different areas of the law. I joined the Mentorship Program because I have been lucky to have had great mentors throughout my career, and this is a terrific opportunity to pay those experiences forward.
What has it been like working with your mentor/mentee? Is there an experience you particularly enjoyed, something significant you learned, etc.?
Ty has been fantastic to work with. He is smart, entrepreneurial, hard-working, and diligent. He’s thought very carefully about how to maximize the benefits of the mentorship program for both of us. We have regularly scheduled meetings, and often (but not always) he will give me a heads up ahead of time of issues that he’d especially like to focus on. Early on in the program, we spent a lot of time talking strategy for the clerkship application process. But it turned out that Ty didn’t need any help from me – he aced his interviews and landed a fantastic Third Circuit clerkship with Judge Jordan!
What is something you will take with you from this experience? It could be appellate-related or more broad, such as something you realized about yourself, mentorship, etc.
Participating in the program confirmed for me how important and rewarding it is to work with talented younger folks who are coming up through the ranks. We’ve all had successes and made mistakes in our careers, and it’s a great feeling to pass along some of the lessons learned and hopefully have an impact (however small) in someone else’s life. I look forward to deepening the relationship with Ty – and building similar relationships with other talented appellate lawyers – in the years to come.
Sarah Sloan
Mentor
Managing Associate,
Orrick
“I have been lucky to have a wide variety of mentors guide me in my journey to appellate law—family members, professors, classmates, judges, and colleagues. . . This program has highlighted for me the importance of ongoing mentoring relationships.”
Tell us about your interest in appellate work and why you decided to join this Mentorship Program.
I have been lucky to have a wide variety of mentors guide me in my joumey to appellate law—family members, professors, classmates, judges, and colleagues. I am always happy to speak with law students about my experiences clerking when they reach out to me, and I also want to affirmatively make those connections, rather than waiting for students to contact me. Most importantly, I am deeply concemed about the lack of diversity among appellate lawyers; I believe that our appellate system should reflect the diversity of our country.
What has it been like working with your mentor/mentee? Is there an experience you particularly enjoyed, something significant you learned, etc.?
It has been wonderful to talk with Ty and get to know him better. Our check-in calls are always a highlight of my week. Ty has a background in orchestral conducting, and in one of our first conversations, he explained how the practice of conducting is similar to the experience of oral argument: They both require persuading others to adopt your approach. It was such an insightful observation, and one that I had never heard before. It was also a helpful reminder that that there are many different ways to connect with the law.
What is something you will take with you from this experience? It could be appellate-related or more broad, such as something you realized about yourself, mentorship, etc.
This program has highlighted for me the importance of ongoing mentoring relationships. I tend to reach out to others only when I have a question about next steps, but Ty and I have regular calls to catch up. As a result, we have gotten to know each other well and feel comfortable having more casual conversations with each other, which has enriched the relationship.