Poyner Spruill LLP welcomed six accomplished law students to participate in the annual summer associate program. Over the course of six weeks, these aspiring attorneys immersed themselves in the firm—gaining practical experience across diverse practice areas and building meaningful connections with our attorneys and staff.
Learn about the 2025 summer associates’ experiences as they reflect on their time at Poyner Spruill:
Peter Christopherson (Rocky Mount) is a rising 3L at Wake Forest University School of Law.
“I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated my time at Poyner Spruill this summer. The Summer Program is very well-organized, and getting assigned mentors was a huge help for me. Chris Dwight and Cecilia Barreca were tremendously generous with their time, and they were consistently available for me to ask questions or to get advice when I wasn’t sure how to proceed.
Visiting each Poyner Spruill office was a really fun part of the internship, though I equally enjoyed having my “home” office in Rocky Mount. Poyner Spruill personnel are extremely supportive of their Summer Associates, and for anyone interested in practicing law in the State of North Carolina, I couldn’t recommend applying to work for Poyner Spruill enough!”
Gabriella Griffonetti (Charlotte) recently completed her first year at the University of North Carolina School of Law.
“This summer, I had a fantastic experience at Poyner Spruill. From day one, the firm culture matched exactly what I experienced during my interview—friendly, supportive, and genuinely welcoming. The projects I worked on were both exciting and sophisticated, offering me the opportunity to meaningfully contribute and gain exposure across a variety of practice areas. That exposure helped me learn so much in a short amount of time, gave me a well-rounded view of the firm’s diverse strengths, and helped me determine my practice area interests moving forward.
Beyond the work itself, the social and networking events were also tons of fun and provided a great way to connect with attorneys from all of Poyner Spruill’s offices. These interactions gave me valuable insight into the firm’s collaborative culture and sense of community. Overall, it was a rewarding and memorable summer!”
Trabia McFall (Charlotte) returned to Poyner Spruill for her second year as a summer associate. She is a rising 3L at Wake Forest University School of Law.
“My second summer at Poyner Spruill has been an incredible experience! I had the opportunity to work on a wide range of interesting and complex legal issues, which helped me grow both professionally and personally. I also had the chance to attend a deposition and observe a witness interview, both of which were valuable learning experiences. The mentorship and support of the attorneys made this summer especially rewarding. I am grateful for the opportunity and all the individuals who made it so meaningful!”
Sutton Orndorff (Raleigh) is a rising 3L at the University of North Carolina School of Law.
“I had a phenomenal experience as a Summer Clerk at Poyner Spruill. I got plenty of hands-on experience working on projects with Emily Meeker, Nick Tosco, and several other sharp Poyner Spruill attorneys, all of whom dedicated valuable time to teaching and mentoring me.
I particularly enjoyed getting to travel to the Charlotte and Rocky Mount offices and meeting some of the folks I worked with in the first half of the summer. Each office has its own unique characteristics, but one thing was true across all three: the people were kind, smart, and truly a joy to be around.
Being a Summer Clerk at Poyner Spruill was exactly the kind of experience I was looking for. I got to complete meaningful work and do it with some incredibly talented attorneys. I especially appreciated my mentors, Amanda Sherin and Adia Craig, who were steady sources of support throughout the summer. Although the program flew by, I can confidently say I am better off having participated in it.”
Diya Patel (Raleigh) recently completed her first year at the University of North Carolina School of Law.
“My time at Poyner Spruill was the ideal summer experience for me. Poyner Spruill is a full-service law firm, so I was able to work in a wide range of areas, including tax, education, bankruptcy, health, and litigation. The partners, associates, and project assigners always make a huge effort to support us and answer the hundreds of questions we inevitably have. This made the work perfectly challenging and interesting without being overwhelming. As a first-generation law student, this was the best way for me to maximize my summer while balancing experience and enjoyment.
In addition, Poyner’s community and emphasis on work-life balance are remarkable. They care about their employees as people, not just as sources of work, and this has led to an impressively supportive and happy workforce. It was a pleasure to work and learn at Poyner Spruill!”
Jackson Webb (Raleigh) is a rising 3L at the University of North Carolina School of Law.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Poyner Spruill. The firm’s environment is exactly what I was searching for throughout my interview process and the different areas that I experienced gave me helpful insight into the practice I hope to pursue. The summer’s highlight, without a doubt, has been the opportunity to connect with such great people who are driven and passionate about the law. Receiving work from across the firm, either from other offices or multiple practice areas, showed a tremendous connectedness that I have not experienced at other firms I summered with previously. I had numerous opportunities to test the waters of litigation by conducting research that felt impactful to the cases at issue, rather than just leg work.
I cannot speak highly enough of my partner mentor, Colin McGrath, and my associate mentor, Rachel Pender. Both attorneys put in a great amount of effort to welcome me to the firm. But this sentiment was not exclusive to those attorneys. Every partner, associate, legal assistant, and paralegal that I interacted with evidenced a culture that I loved.
Poyner Spruill also offered a working environment that I have been continuously looking for while surveying the post-graduation field. I was able to work with outstanding attorneys, experts in their field, in an environment that felt like a close-knit group while also having access to vast resources on the litigation front. This atmosphere made for an overwhelmingly positive experience and makes me very thankful for the opportunity to work at Poyner Spruill this summer.”
