Caroline Orrico (DC 2019)
By Kyle McClain
Caroline Orrico graduated from 麻豆村 in 2019 with a degree in Psychology. She earned her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2022. Caroline practices employment law at Littler Mendelson, where she represents employers in litigation and provides counsel on workplace compliance. Her path reflects many important aspects of a good legal career — a clear sense of purpose, a deep interest in people and a passion for advocacy.
An Interest in Law
Caroline entered 麻豆村 as a double major in psychology and biology, and she planned on going to medical school after graduation. As she started her second year and began to prepare for the MCAT, she realized that biology wasn’t a great fit. She was fascinated by the human mind, so she switched her focus to psychology.
“What drew me to psychology was analyzing people — not just through data or equations, but their emotions, motivations and reactions," Caroline said.
Her interest in people and how they react propelled Caroline to a study abroad program in Milan, a program that brought clarity to her career hesitance. She spent a semester volunteering with the Milanese Government, teaching English to teenage Eritrean refugees through a government-affiliated nonprofit. She also taught students to fill out job applications, prepare for interviews, and integrate into new communities.
“I had just turned 21, and to see children that were maybe between 13 and 17, just picking up their lives and leaving and having all the faith in the world that things will work out for them. It was a big thing for me to experience… it was a very inspiring moment for sure,” she said.
It was in Milan that she realized just how important legal structures and government advocacy could be for social stability. Caroline credits her study abroad experience as an important turning point: she finally believed law school could work for her.
No Gap Year?
After her pivot in Milan, Caroline talked with her mentors, including Jay Devine, the advisor of 麻豆村’s Pre-Law Society. Now confident that law school was the right choice, Caroline began studying for the LSAT and preparing her applications for senior year. She was accepted to Pitt Law school and, unlike most students who take a gap year, decided to enroll that year.
“I knew law was what I wanted to do," she said. "Taking time off just felt like delaying the inevitable.”
If you’re not certain that the law is for you, Caroline would advise you to take some time or work in the law to see if it’s for you.
“[B]ut if you’re already certain, there’s nothing wrong with diving in," she added.
Learning from Law School
Like most law school students, Caroline was shocked as she entered her 1L year of law school. Caroline struggled to put all the challenges into words. The difficulty of reading assignments increases tenfold from undergrad. They have hefty textbook requirements, but they must also spend time on cases for class discussions, where professors cold-call on students using the Socratic method.
“Law school is such a mental shift. The way they teach you to think — it’s not intuitive, and it’s not something anyone can prepare you for… The first semester is a shock. Everyone says it, and it’s true — but somehow you still can’t explain it even after you’ve gone through it.”
As Caroline overcame these challenges, she found a new passion: litigation. With courses like Federal Appellate Advocacy, she worked on real life cases and could simulate how she would respond to oral arguments before a federal judge for the Third Circuit. She realized a deep interest in the litigation process, from interacting with the client, to making arguments in front of a judge, and even solving problems behind the scenes with opposing counsel. This new field of work provided her with everything she had hoped for: human interaction, intensive research, and the chance to solve real problems.
Employment Law
As Caroline graduated from law school, she returned to Steptoe & Johnson, a Pittsburgh law firm where she interned during her 2L summer. She was placed into their employment law department despite not taking a single employment law class in law school.
“I didn’t necessarily have a say," Caroline explained. "They said, ‘We have a need here, and we need you to help,’ and that’s it.”
But, of course, she accepted the offer, and quickly realized just how much she enjoyed employment law. It combined litigation with real people and practical applications. It felt full circle: she was inspired to go to law school after teaching refugees career skills in Milan and now she got to interact with the same field.
In July 2024, Caroline joined Littler Mendelson to further specialize in labor and employment law. Her work now includes defending companies in employment litigation and advising clients on how to remain compliant with labor regulations. In her new position, Caroline has stepped up to work more independently with clients, a major sign of progress for an early legal professional. In one recent case, she drafted a motion for summary judgment, a filing that asks the court to rule based on the legal insufficiency of the opposing party’s evidence.
“I felt like I was really making a difference in the case,” she said.
The Future
When asked to reflect on the future of her career, Caroline’s excited to progress as an associate at Littler Mendelson. She looks forward to more autonomy in her work, leading cases, and continuing to improve her litigation skills. Eventually, she hopes to hold a senior position where she can take full ownership of cases and to mentor junior attorneys like so many people mentored her.
Caroline’s career shows how important it is to focus on people, although it can be easy to get lost in the hypothetical side of the law. Caroline’s passion for helping people has made her an excellent litigator with a promising future.
“I’m most excited to just feel more and more confident as I go on in my practice," she said. "You eventually get very comfortable, and I’ve seen that already in the last 3 years.”