Fresh Faces, Bright Minds. KWW Adds Two Summer Law Clerks

May 30, 2019

Kastner Westman & Wilkins expanded its summer clerkship program by adding two talented students from Ohio law schools to spend their summer at the Fairlawn management-side labor and employment law firm.

Alissa Peeples and Mike Tontillo are second-year law school students at The University of Akron School of Law and The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law, respectively.

“Our summer clerk program gives talented, future attorneys like Alissa and Mike practical experience applying what they’ve learned in the classroom to effectively solving client challenges, working collaboratively with other legal professionals, and most of all, understanding the client service side of the business,” said Jim Wilkins, KWW shareholder. “The benefits go both ways in that the firm enjoys the fresh perspectives they bring and the opportunity to mentor some of tomorrow’s brightest stars.”

Alissa is an Akron native and graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from The Ohio State University in 2017, where she spent a semester studying abroad in Chengdu, China. She is currently serving as president of Akron Law’s Black Law Student Association and as a class representative to the law school’s student governance body.

Alissa will be spending part of her summer in a law school exchange program studying at the University of Nagoya and University of Tokyo in Japan. She aspires to a career in health law and employment law.

“I’m excited to clerk for KWW this summer and look forward to all the experience I’ll gain from the knowledgeable attorneys,” she said.

Mike is a native of Cincinnati and a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Education in 2014. He was a member of the university’s nationally ranked swim team. Following his undergraduate studies, Mike returned to Cincinnati to teach elementary school for a short time before transitioning into his legal studies.

He earned a full scholarship to law school, where he’s participated in Moot Court and won 2nd place for Best Brief in his school’s 1L competition. Mike has also worked with Ohio State’s Truancy Mediation Program and is a member of the Education Law Society.

“I was drawn to KWW not only for its obvious compatibility with my future aspirations of being a civil litigator, but also for its close-knit environment and the clear emphasis the firm places on community,” Mike said.