In January, with encouragement from a friend, Sarah Robertson ’19 joined the Hamilton College Real Estate Club and discovered her interest in the mechanics of buying and selling properties. “I’ve always been interested in pursuing law school, but I just wasn’t sure what type of law I wanted to specialize in. Real estate club helped me pick a direction,” she said.
While searching for an internship opportunity this summer, Robertson made an appointment with the pre-law advisor at the Career Center, who suggested she contact Hamilton alumni in real estate and in law. This led her to Olivia Robertson ’12, who started the Real Estate Club during her time at Hamilton.
Olivia Robertson directed her to Marc Kaufman, the co-founding partner of Wexler & Kaufman, PLLC in New York City. Kaufman specializes in representing buyers and sellers in commercial and residential real estate transactions, the precise field Robertson hoped to investigate this summer.
As an intern at Wexler & Kaufman, Robertson spends a good deal of time communicating with various property managers, clients and real estate agents about upcoming deal closings. She also helps prepare documents and other materials the attorneys might need during a closing.
Because Wexler &Kaufman is on the smaller side, Robertson has been able to gain first-hand experience at the firm, interacting with clients and following deals. “I like being able to see how my work affects the overall business, and at Wexler & Kaufman, I can do that,” she said.
A typical day begins with Robertson in the office reviewing and responding to emails, and
Major: World Politics
Hometown: Springfield, Mo.
High School: Glendale High School
reading the board of directors’ minutes. From there, she visits different property managers and takes notes on various meetings. She then asks any follow-up questions and compiles the notes into a document to be sent to the client.
Beyond that, Robertson assists with any task around the office, from filing to preparing for closings. “My work at Wexler & Kaufman has given me great insight into the legal field and the day-to-day operations of a working attorney. It has been exciting to watch a world I have been interested in for so long come to life,” she said. After Hamilton, Robertson plans to attend law school with the intention of practicing law full-time.
