For Anastasia Drulias, working at Rodriguez & Associates has been a powerful experience that has propelled her toward her dream of becoming an attorney.
Since high school, Anastasia has known that she wanted to pursue a career in law. As a local to the Bakersfield area, Rodriguez & Associates is a well-known personal injury firm, and she was able to secure an interview with Daniel Rodriguez following high school. Her genuine interest to learn about the law and her hard-working attitude made her a great fit from the start.
Over the last five years, Anastasia has transitioned from a summer intern to a full-time law clerk working alongside the teams of attorneys, completing research, and assisting with cases from start to finish.
It was the people at Rodriguez & Associates, Anastasia says, that kept her returning year after year while she was in school. She expresses a level of comfort in the collegial atmosphere, explaining that while every employee hustled, it was still a very collaborative environment – everyone was always willing to help or answer her questions.
“One of my favorite things about working at the firm is that the attorneys have always been so willing and eager to teach me things, whether they are specific to the task at hand or whether they are just more broadly applicable to the practice of law in general. I am so thankful that they have taken me under their wing in that way and that I have had the opportunity to learn so much from them.”
Gaining hands-on experience with the personal injury firm has not only introduced Anastasia to a variety of practice areas and inspired her to pursue her dream of obtaining her Juris doctorate, but has also helped her identify an interest in international law and international human rights, an area of law that she hopes to explore more at Georgetown University. She credits Rodriguez & Associates with helping her find that alignment with her passion:
“I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer but I didn’t know why. Working here and seeing how the attorneys interact with clients, and how cases progress has shown me why. I learned that I enjoy helping people through the litigation process.”
While we are sad to see Anastasia leave Bakersfield, we know that a wonderful and fulfilling future lies ahead for her. We wish her all the best at Georgetown!