Hendriksen, whose main responsibilities include giving government procurement law advice and serving on source evaluation and mishap boards, was recently awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. His career at NASA, an organization that was in its very early stages while Hendriksen was in law school, has been an unexpected experience.

“NASA was not even around when I was growing up in Tampa, and it was just getting started when I was at UF,” he said. “It was a brand new agency that was blowing up rockets all over the place. Kennedy Space Center was not even built yet.”

After UF Law, Hendriksen went to NASA so he could practice contractual negotiations. He arrived shortly after the Apollo 1 fire that killed three astronauts and was inspired by the organization’s progressive mentality.

“When I came to NASA, I got an amazing feeling,” he said. “I had never been around so many bright, positive and proactive people.”

He also recalls the sense of urgency around Cape Canaveral after President Kennedy announced that the U.S. will go to the moon in the 1960s.

“Whenever there was a problem or challenge, we never backed down because we had to get to the moon,” Hendriksen said. “The Apollo Program was a big venture that attracted the best people from around the world. That’s the kind of people NASA had back then.”

At NASA Hendriksen relies on his days from UF Law to sometimes help solve problems totally unconnected to legal issues. When the Apollo Program ended NASA began preparing for the Space Shuttle Program, and had problems figuring out how to place new cranes in the Vehicle Assembly Building. He thought back to his days at UF when Dean Fenn, a UF Law professor, told his classes to think outside of the box. Hendriksen used that mindset to help solve a major issue.

“The engineers wanted to cut a hole in the top of the Vehicle Assembly Building, which would have been a very complex operation,” he said. “The roof of that building is like lasagna, and contract-wise, the project would have been very hard to do.”

By thinking outside the box, Hendriksen convinced the engineers the newer refined cranes could be lifted into position by the old cranes already in the assembly facility. The head engineer loved the idea.

“Years later, during the Space Shuttle Program, the launch director came up and thanked me because the older cranes we kept in there were also still being used from time to time,” Hendriksen said. “That’s thanks to Dean Fenn showing me to think outside the box at UF Law.”

An expert when it comes to giving business and legal advice, Hendriksen has been extremely involved when it comes to helping NASA recover from tragic accidents like the Columbia disaster. He serves on a board of advisers that decides what to do with the remaining wreckage and still gets calls daily for permission to work with the wreckage from universities and scientists.

“When the pieces of the shuttle started to come back, my team had to figure out what other people could have access to, where they could view everything and where NASA should store the wreckage,” he said. “To this day I get calls from many different types of people who want access and I have to make certain recommendations.”

NASA employees value pride and honor when it comes to their daily work. Hendriksen, like other NASA employees, dedicates his efforts to astronauts who have fallen in the past.

“Since we couldn’t bring back the astronauts, we make sure the program goes on,” he said. “Everything we do at NASA honors the astronauts who have died, and we all spend whatever resources it takes to make sure we get a ‘Return to Flight.’”

A “Return to Flight” refers to getting astronauts to land safely back on Earth. In the 1970s, during the Apollo missions, Hendriksen remembers when NASA would allow employees to get really close to the Saturn V Rocket liftoffs.

“NASA was more cavalier when it came to safety back then. During Apollo 17 my colleagues and I were allowed to stand right at the tow-away facility to watch the launch,” he said. “I remember having to hold onto a gatepost while my entire body and everything else vibrated during the launch. They would never let us that close nowadays.”

His responsibilities as a contract expert allow him to work with famous ex-astronauts such as Apollo 13′s Jim Lovell, and former Sen. John Glenn. Hendriksen helps them organize math and science scholarship programs.

“The U.S. is not as strong as it used to be in math and science, so I work with ex-astronauts to get young people on track,” he said. “NASA can’t offer scholarships because it’s a federal agency, but we help the exastronauts figure out what they can and can’t offer.”

Although his career at NASA is coming to a close, he’s still involved in daily contract writing and reviewing. As NASA transitions into the new Constellation Program, new contracts have to be made to build the redesigned rockets, transporters and launch pads.

“We need to replace the old crawler-transporters with one or two new ones that cost tens of millions of dollars each, and we have to write out the right clauses for the bidding that is coming up,” he said. “In the counsel’s office we have to be very careful about the costs and what options we offer to the contractors.”

After four decades of hard work and dedication, Hendriksen says he still loves being part of NASA operations and that it will take a big effort to keep him away.

“I just love working out here and could do it much longer, but my wife is getting mad and hammering me to say goodbye,” he said.

The 28-year-old single mom and UF Law student spends her day juggling the needs of her children and her studies. Abramowich lives in a 668 square foot on-campus apartment with her three children, eight-year-old Katherine, five-year-old Elizabeth and three-year-old Arthur.

Before deciding to attend law school, Abramowich was a stay-at-home mother who home schooled her young children. But, that all was changed when she and her children were kicked out of their home by her abusive husband, and she had to provide for her children. “As a lawyer I would be able to provide a life I was never able to have,” Abramowich said.

While in law school, Abramowich is trying to keep her family’s finances afloat with help from food stamps, Medicaid, student loans and child support. She also budgets her finances by buying her clothes during off-season sales and searches on eBay for her children’s clothes. “We are very poor but we make it,” she said.

Abramowich is uncertain about her financial future but is considering many options. She is considering working as a paralegal, obtaining a job with her legal intern status or moving in with family while she studies for The Florida Bar. But, pending divorce orders will hinder her ability to relocate or apply for jobs.

A typical day for Abramowich begins at 6:30 a.m. with a battle to beat Katherine to the only bathroom in her cramped apartment. The morning begins with “a race for the toilet,” she said.

After prying the other two children, who are full of energy at any other time of the day, out of bed, she fixes the children breakfast, rushes the two girls to the bus stop and drops Arthur off at child care.

With the children off at school, Abramowich heads to the gym to get in one of her five workouts for the week. She makes this a routine for the sake of her mental and physical health, but she insists it’s mostly for her physical need. “You have to duct tape your body back together after having three children,” she said.

After her vigorous workout, she showers and puts on her power suit to attend classes. She takes her student career very professionally. It is important to go to class dressed like it’s a day at court, she said.

After classes, Abramowich picks up Arthur from child care and meets her two girls at the school bus stop. The family makes it a priority to spend the afternoons together. Their activities on any given weekday afternoon include ballet lessons, speech therapy for Elizabeth, trips to the museums, spending time at the library or looking for alligators at Lake Alice.

After her children wind down after their active day and crawl into bed at 8 p.m., Abramowich finally begins her studies that last until 11:30 p.m.

Even though Abramowich’s day is hectic, she remains joyous because she is truly grateful for her newfound freedom. She is still enthusiastic about life after ending an abusive marriage and being disowned by some of her family for leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“I’m just so excited. I don’t have to ask permission to do anything – what to watch on TV, what to spend money on or when to study,” she said.

On top of managing a busy day with a rigorous schedule with her children, there is the added stress of finding the time to fulfill her passion for volunteer work.

Abramowich completed her Pro-bono and Community Service certifications in Fall 2007. She uses her past challenging experiences to provide hope and be an inspiration for others. “It makes me feel so good about myself – I can really help people. I’m a ray of hope that it can be done,” Abramowich said.

Abramowich has mixed feelings when it comes to receiving her degree and getting a job. She would no longer have the luxury of having afternoons available for spending time with her children.

But, she looks forward to helping others as a criminal defense attorney. “Lawyers make the best of a bad situation,” she said. “It’s nice to see I can help people and provide a living for my three children.”

The one reason why Abramowich is excited about getting a job is finally being able to fulfill her modest financial goals for her children, which include purchasing a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house and Florida Prepaid College Plans for each child.

Even though Abramowich’s journey throughout law school hasn’t been easy, she has never had any regrets. “What doesn’t kill me – makes me stronger,” she said.

The number of employers reached an all-time high of 159. Fall OCI began Aug. 14, the week before classes began. Of those visiting, eight employers were government agencies, three were accounting firms, three were military, one was a business and 144 were private law firms. The Florida areas recruited for included:

• 40 from Central Florida (Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando, Daytona areas)
• 13 from Northeast Florida (Jacksonville area)
• 6 from West Florida (Tallahassee and Panhandle)
• 8 from Southwest Florida (Ft. Meyers, Naples, Sarasota areas)
• 38 from Southeast Florida (West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami areas)

The 38 out-of-state cities and states included Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Alabama, Arizona, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, New York, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Massachusetts.

Employers’ suggestions included:

• “Many students sent resumes that were totally inappropriate for our practice. It appeared as if many didn’t even read our very clear requirements.”
• “Many of the interviewing students seemed unaware of how to sell themselves.”

Spring On-Campus Interviews Different Than Fall

Is Spring OCI the Same? No.

• While the process is the same, a different segment of legal employers tend to interview in spring.
• Traditionally we host more small and medium-sized law firms, rather than the large firms who visit in the fall.
• Historically, more state government employers tend to interview in the spring. This spring may be different with the state budget cuts being experienced.
• It is important for all students to carefully review the list of employers and THE EMPLOYER’S stated hiring criteria before deciding whether to participate in OCI.

When is Spring OCI?

• Spring OCI interviews will run Feb. 12-29.
• Phase 1 bids for Spring 2007 OCI are open Jan. 8-14, at noon.
• It does not matter whether you bid on the first or last day of bidding as there is no priority system within a particular bid phase. Bidding for employers will end at noon on the closing day and the computer system will not accept late bids.
• Dates for remaining phases are available both on Symplicity and the CCS website.

What do I need to do?

To be sure you are prepared to “bid” (submit your resume for consideration by a scheduled employer) you must:

• Attend a Symplicity Training now, if you have not already done so.
• On Wednesday, Jan. 9, at noon in the Faculty Dining Room or Friday, Jan. 11 at noon in Bailey Courtroom, have a signed 2007 Policy & Procedure Form on file in the CCS
• Upload your resume into Symplicity
• Update your class year (1L, 2L, 3L) and graduation date

Start of Fall 2008 OCI is Aug. 19-22

• Early Interview Week is held the week prior to the beginning of fall classes. This will be a time when a substantial number of employers will be on campus to interview. Be sure to factor these dates into your summer employment, class or vacation plans.
• If you will not be available to interview, do not bid. Remember, you are only allotted two declines per semester.
• Remember that Fall Bidding begins in mid-July.

“Our volunteers get to work one-on-one with clients, apply their legal knowledge to everyday issues, and empower low-income communities,” Whitney Untiedt (JD 05, pictured above), an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Attorney with Three Rivers, said. “The students are motivated to help solve our clients’ issues, and in turn the clients are grateful to meet people who are willing to stand up for them. It is definitely a win-win situation.”

Student volunteers are supervised by experienced attorneys while earning pro bono credit in a clinical, client-based setting. “I absolutely plan on volunteering with Three Rivers this semester, and even into my third year of law school,” Natalie Peters, a 2L who volunteered with Three Rivers last semester, said. “Three Rivers has given me amazing hands-on experience – something that employers and other members of the legal field find to be very beneficial.”

This semester, Three Rivers will offer several opportunities for interested students, including:

• Housing: Volunteers will conduct client interviews and draft memos and letters on landlord/tenant issues. The Housing Clinic is divided into two sessions; Housing A meets each Monday in February, and Housing B meets on Mondays in March and April.
• Pro Se Divorce: Volunteers will assist domestic violence and low-income clients with completing forms necessary to file for divorce and related child support actions. The Pro Se Divorce Clinic meets on Fridays throughout the semester, with two Saturday sessions for working parents.
• General Legal Intake: As the clients’ first point of contact with Three Rivers, volunteers will interview clients and draft memos on various civil legal issues. Students may volunteer time on either Monday afternoons or Tuesday mornings throughout the semester.
• Rural Outreach: Volunteers will travel with Three Rivers attorneys to rural counties in north central Florida, to give presentations focusing on consumer law and other issues facing rural populations.

Law students will participate in a legal training session on Feb. 1 before going into the field. Three Rivers attorneys Whitney Untiedt and Debra Rosenbluth will be on campus during the weeks of Jan. 7 and Jan. 14 to answer questions about the clinics and to share general information about the mission of legal services in Florida. For more information, or to volunteer with Three Rivers, go to www.trls.org or call 352-372-0519.