Melissa Prober, Associate Counsel, New York Genome Center

Kramer Levin was founded on a commitment to recruiting the best lawyers and building a collaborative environment where they could grow and thrive. Through our Alumni Profiles series, we proudly share the important and exciting work our alumni have undertaken. 

Melissa Prober is associate counsel at the New York Genome Center, an independent, nonprofit academic research institution focused on genomic research. Melissa began her career at Kramer Levin as a litigation associate in 2007. Her practice grew to focus on management-side employment law, regulatory matters and white collar criminal defense. Melissa's pro bono activities at the firm included regularly advising the Clinton Foundation, where she went on to serve as its Associate General Counsel from 2015-2017.

Melissa Prober Associate Counsel, New York Genome Center

I was looking for three things in a firm: a master-class litigation department, a strong commitment to pro bono, and genuinely nice attorneys and staff. I found all three at Kramer Levin.

What is it like to work in-house?

I am assistant counsel at an academic research organization. Every hour brings a new issue across my desk, and no two days are alike. It’s not unusual for me to spend one day working on a licensing agreement involving our intellectual property, reviewing our tax returns before filing, drafting a data transfer agreement and advising on an employment matter, and then spend the next day negotiating a master services agreement with a cloud-services provider, drafting vendor and consulting agreements, reviewing an NIH grant, and writing a new policy for our organization. Being a generalist is challenging, but that's what makes the work so rewarding.    

What advice would you give junior associates?

First, take advantage of Kramer Levin's shadowing program, which means your hours are counted toward your bonus but not billed to a client. Clients want to keep costs down, and that often means limiting the number of lawyers on a call or in a meeting. Ask partners if you can participate and bill your time to shadowing. It can be a valuable learning experience for a junior associate and benefits the client. It is amazing how much you can learn simply by observing more-senior attorneys in action.

Second, take on pro bono matters outside of your department to develop your skill set. I had the privilege of working on pro bono matters with attorneys in IP, employment, corporate and tax, which taught me skills that I rely upon today. The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts publishes a pro bono case list seeking attorneys to provide a wide variety of legal services. Find an organization that really appeals to you on the list, and don’t just help out with the single task posted – also become its outside general counsel. Small nonprofits seek this kind of help, and it allows you to gain generalist experience. Don’t have the client come to you. Even when you are at your busiest, make time to visit the client’s offices to learn more about its mission and programs. By better understanding operations, you will be able to give better advice. 

Why did you choose Kramer Levin?

I was looking for three things in a firm: one, a master-class litigation department; two, a strong commitment to pro bono; and three, genuinely nice attorneys and staff. I found all three at Kramer Levin.

First, the matters that the firm handles are the ones that get covered on the front page of The New York Times. They are the cases with the complicated facts, novel law and high stakes. That’s what makes the work both challenging and interesting. 

Second, Kramer Levin is extremely supportive of attorneys’ desire to take on pro bono matters, and pro bono hours are bonus-eligible. Partners take on cutting-edge pro bono cases, and most associates have one or two active pro bono matters at any one time. 

Finally, and most important, the people who work at Kramer Levin are fundamentally good people. The partners care not only about your professional growth but also about you as a person. They ask about your vacations, invite you to fundraisers and send you a gift when you get married or have a baby (and they know your kids’ names!). The associates are a very tight-knit group and have each other's back. Senior associates take an active role in mentoring junior associates, and attorneys are friends inside and out of work. Still to this day, I see Kramer Levin attorneys regularly – lunch with a partner, drinks with former associates or networking at an alumni event. The nice thing about Kramer Levin is that when you go to Kramer Levin, you become a part of the Kramer Levin family and remain part of it even after you leave.