Jonas Ewart, ’28, spent his summer honing his legal research and writing skills working in the Office of the Idaho Solicitor General in Boise.  

How did you connect with this summer opportunity?  

A student who had this internship last summer connected me with Idaho Solicitor General Michael Zarian, who is a 2019 graduate of the Law School.  

How does your experience connect with what you currently envision doing with your law degree?  

I plan to litigate. Working with Idaho’s chief appellate advocate has given me a thorough introduction to appellate work.   

Please describe a “typical” day at work.  

I spend most of my time doing legal research and writing. I usually have one large project over the course of a couple weeks, like researching and drafting an amicus brief. Smaller projects will come up in the meantime, like writing an internal memo on a smaller legal issue or mooting one of our lawyers for oral argument.   

What is something you learned or experienced that was surprising or particularly compelling during this summer position?  

Appellate litigation in Idaho is exciting because we pass some of the more conservative legislation in the nation, but the federal district of Idaho and the Ninth Circuit are relatively sympathetic to liberal challenges. As a result, the Solicitor General Office handles important constitutional test cases, like Little v. Hecox, in the last Supreme Court term.   

What are a couple of your key takeaways from the experience so far?  

Legal writing is better and more fun when you get detailed feedback on every step of the drafting process. Your work mentor will significantly impact your growth as a lawyer. Solicitor General Zarian is fantastic.  

What advice would you offer another law student contemplating working in a similar position next summer? 

Think about the skills you want to improve during the summer because this is one of your only chances to do legal work before graduating. I wanted to practice intensive legal research and writing, so a solicitor general office was a good fit.   

How are you spending your free time this summer?  

Camping, hiking, and going out in downtown Boise. Idaho is a great place to spend the summer! 

What are you most looking forward to in returning to UChicago Law this fall?  

Wine mess.