Emily Cramer, a rising 2L, reached out to the
Career Services Center earlier this year for help applying for a summer fellowship
opportunity that aligned with her passion for business law. After a lengthy interview
process and guidance from the Career Services staff, Cramer was awarded the
American Bar Association’s prestigious Janet Dempsey Steiger Fellowship.
Cramer is one of just 32 law students from across the country chosen for the fellowship. She will receive a $6,000 stipend to work eight weeks in the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the West Virginia Attorney General in Charleston this summer.
“I want to work in the corporate sector after law school, so while I’m here at WVU Law I want to learn as much as possible about all legal aspects of business. Having the opportunity to apply for this fellowship as a first-year law student and learn more about consumer protection efforts in a practical setting is really exciting,” she said. “I feel like I’m getting a head start on my legal career.”
Cramer met with Heather Spielmaker, assistant dean for career services, and Rosalind Lister, assistant director of career services, throughout the spring semester as she applied and was interviewed for the Steiger Fellowship.
Spielmaker and Lister helped Cramer refine her application materials. When Cramer made it through to the interview phase of the application process, they helped her prepare by conducting mock interviews. They also communicated with the American Bar Association on Cramer’s behalf to organize online interviews from Law School Hill.
“Career Services here at WVU Law was with me every step of the way throughout this process,” Cramer said. “I appreciated having people on my side who are genuinely interested in helping me achieve success so early on in my legal career and land a prestigious opportunity like the Steiger Fellowship."
After each interview, Spielmaker and Lister also reached out to Cramer for updates and offered their support. When she was formally offered the fellowship, they celebrated her success.
“The Steiger Fellowship will help Emily prepare for a legal career both in and outside of West Virginia. She will be gaining practical skills and knowledge related to this region through her work with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and she will also have the opportunity to network and make professional connections with members of the ABA across the country,” said Spielmaker.
A native of Vienna, West Virginia, Cramer obtained her bachelor’s degree in public relations in 2017 from Duquesne University. She is working towards a dual J.D./Online MBA from WVU Law.
About the Steiger Fellowship
The Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project is named after the late Janet D. Steiger, a former Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). During her tenure from 1981-1989, Steiger greatly improved communication and strengthened partnerships between state and federal consumer protection and antitrust enforcement agencies. The Steiger Fellowship was created by the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Antitrust Law and the National Association of Attorneys General. Its mission is to introduce law students to careers in public service and consumer protection outreach initiatives.
