the courtroom was packed every day. What I meant was, when I get up to talk to a jury, the rest of the chaos leading up
Covington Spotlight: Jennifer Saulino In celebration of National Women's Month, we have asked Covington’s female trial lawyers to share a bit about their paths as litigators. In today’s feature, we shine the spotlight on Jennifer Saulino.
What do you enjoy most about the legal profession and your role at Covington? My favorite part of being a trial lawyer is talking to juries. I remember one time saying to a supervisor at DOJ, during a particularly tumultuous run-up to a highly charged trial, "I just can't wait to be alone in a courtroom with 12 regular people." This trial was very public, and the courtroom was packed every day. What I meant was, when I get up to talk to a jury, the rest of the chaos leading up to trial and out in the gallery melts away. I get a thrill out of finding ways to detangle complex issues and empowering non-lawyers to make difficult legal decisions with the confidence that they understand fully what they are deciding. My favorite part of my most recent role at Covington is working with our brilliant, tireless, creative, energizing associates. I am newly amazed at least once a week at their talent and drive. How did you choose this path? I always knew I wanted to do something that allowed me to connect with people. At first I thought it would be politics, but from the minute I did my first moot court presentation in law school, I knew I would be a trial lawyer.
lawyer I had always wanted to be. Because of the nature of the matter, it also was the case that proved to everyone else that I could master this role. Which individuals have inspired you the most? I gain inspiration from the people who believe in me, who have been true mentors and sponsors through my career, and who have believed in my abilities as a trial lawyer even when I have felt like I was struggling. Those people include Covington partner and former Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, Judge Patricia Seitz, Judge Stanwood Duval, and Janet Daly Duval, among others along the way. Do you have any advice for women in the legal field? Don't spend your time making a 5-year plan and trying to achieve it. Instead, focus on preparing yourself for new opportunities so that you can seize the right ones for you when they come along. Cultivate relationships with more senior people–women and men–who show interest in your career. Ask them for real criticism and use it to get better. And be confident in what you know you do well.
What do you consider to be your greatest professional achievement or defining moment during your career? While serving as a prosecutor, I was assigned to take over as lead counsel a very difficult trial in a high-profile litigation that was hotly contentious inside and outside the courtroom. I believed in the case, and I believed it could be won, but I was in the minority on the second part. When the jury announced its guilty verdict, I knew I had managed to become the trial © 2018 Covington & Burling LLP. All rights reserved.
