Summer Experience Spotlight: Katherine Tanis at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
This summer, Katherine Tanis, a 2L JD/PhD student at Saint Louis University School of Law, worked as a law firm clerk at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath in Philadelphia, where she saw firsthand the many ways legal work can affect people’s lives. Some of the most motivating assignments involved insurance fraud.
“Many cases involved people pretending to be someone else to take out insurance policies and exploit vulnerable, elderly individuals in their communities,” the SLU LAW student explained. “I felt proud to be part of work that helps prevent this kind of fraud because it’s about more than just the law; it’s about protecting people’s financial security and ensuring fairness.” Knowing she was contributing to that mission, she added, “made me feel connected to the purpose behind the legal work.”
Her summer also included meaningful pro bono projects that directly impacted individual clients. Tanis worked on an asylum application for a Honduran refugee and an expungement petition for a client seeking a fresh start.
“Being able to use my legal skills and my firm’s resources to advocate for these clients in life-changing circumstances was incredibly special,” she said. “It was an exciting and sobering reminder that my efforts alone could massively impact these individuals’ futures.”
The variety of assignments was another highlight.
“I assumed I’d be doing mostly research and memo writing, but I got to sit in on client calls, attend a mediation, and see how different attorneys approached problems,” she reflected.
One story that stood out came early in the summer when she was assigned to research a legal issue so unfamiliar that every treatise or case felt like learning a new language. “I spent hours combing through case law, hoping to find something on point to guide the client’s decision, but nothing directly addressed the question. After exhaustive research, I wrote a memo not only outlining the absence of cases, but also detailing my search terms to show the depth and diligence of my work. That experience taught me that sometimes, the value isn’t in finding the answer, but in showing the process, being honest about uncertainty, and communicating clearly so the team can move forward with confidence.”
The summer ultimately helped Tanis refine her career goals. She discovered a passion for litigation and regulatory work in the insurance space, where the fact patterns often center on individual stories tied closely to health. She likened litigation to detective work, recalling one assignment in which she sifted through hundreds of pages of court transcripts to uncover how opposing counsel had used an unusual procedural maneuver.
“This research was for a case happening in real time, and finding the answer helped the team prepare well for trial,” she said. The experience confirmed her interest in fast-paced, detail-oriented practice where strategy and persistence can shape outcomes — and, ultimately, protect people’s lives.