I had the opportunity to sit down with one of Burns and Farrey’s newest associate attorneys in our Boston office, Brittany Parziale.

Q: Let’s start off with you telling me a bit about yourself.

B: I am from Middleborough, Massachusetts and attended college at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island where I double majored in Creative Writing and Legal Studies with a minor in Political Science. I graduated in 2017 and then continued my studies at New England Law Boston, graduating in 2020. I was sworn into the Massachusetts Bar in January 2021.

Q: Why did you decide to become an attorney?

B: There was never an exact moment but when I was in high school, I was involved in the student government, student council and class council. I also was a participant in a national mock government program for high school students called Youth in Government. This became a turning point when I realized I wanted to pursue government studies in college. During my time in college, I became more interested in Legal Studies and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it. I remember one day telling my mom, “Mom, I guess I’m going to law school after college!”

Q: What surprised you the most about being an attorney versus law school?

B: Law school teaches you the law, how to read a case, how to do research, different skills that you absolutely need to become an attorney, but it doesn’t really teach you how to practice the law. That’s why having internships and doing clinics is very important. After I graduated from New England Law, I went on to practice Family law and eventually decided that it wasn’t for me. Those first few years after law school are crucial for learning and understanding how to be a lawyer. Which became pivotal next steps and lead me to working at Burns and Farrey.

Q: When did you join the firm?

B: I started working as an Associate Attorney at Burns and Farrey in December 2021.

Q: What is your favorite part of the job?

B: I enjoy the exposure to different cases, the team working environment, and the seamless communication across the board. A big part of being an associate attorney is fact gathering. I enjoy being able to figure out what information we have, what information we still need and how are we going to use this information.

Q: Who inspires you?

B: My family is a big inspiration for me. I am the first out of my family to go to a 4-year college and the first out of my extended family to go into law. I want to be an inspiration for my three younger siblings and show them they can do tackle any aspiration they have.

Q: What passions do you have outside of your career?

B: It’s important to have a work and life balance, especially during remote working times. Recently I have been trying to explore new things such as cooking and even skiing, which I did for the first time recently! I love reading new books, especially because my friends and I from college created a book club that we meet every two weeks or so.

Q: What advice would you give to new attorneys?

B: Do not be afraid. There will be a big learning curve and challenges that come your way, but you will be able to overcome them.