Forchelli of Forchelli law discusses first job experience

Name: Nicole Forchelli Title: Attorney Company Name: Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana Years in Commercial Real Estate: 1 What was your first job and what did you learn from it? My first job as an attorney was as an assistant district attorney at the Kings County District Attorney's office. As a prosecutor there for four years, I received an incredible amount of trial and case management experience. Brooklyn's crowded and overburdened justice system taught me to think on my feet in high pressure situations. Being in court nearly every day also taught me how to effectively relate to juries and reason with judges. These skills have proven extremely valuable to my career in zoning and land use law, particularly because so much of my work as a land use attorney involves attending hearings and making board presentations, where thinking on your feet and effectively relating to your audience are critical. In the last 12 months, which project, transaction, honor or accomplishment are you most proud of and why? I just recently completed a major project for a client, which was very broad in scope and required a significant amount of organization and coordination in a short time period. At first glance, the task seemed so complex and vast as to be insurmountable. However, I took the lead on organizing the project and helped facilitate our many attorneys working on the project to produce timely results. Not only did we accomplish a great result for our client -- who was thrilled with the outcome -- but I came away with a renewed confidence in my own skills and ability to take the initiative in a challenging situation.