Name: Fiona Hogan
Class Year: 2015
Title: Attorney
Organization: Anderson Kill, P.C.
1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
I sue insurance companies.
2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?
While at Holy Cross, I participated in the Summer Internship Program and interned in the legal clinic of Part of the Solution, a non-profit in the Bronx. That was my first taste of litigation—in Bronx Housing Court! After graduation, I decided to try something else before applying to law school, so I taught History and Spanish at Newton Country Day School for a year then worked for an education nonprofit in NYC. In the three years after graduation before applying to law school, I did a lot of reflecting and was drawn to this quote by the theologian Frederick Buechnher: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” I felt that God was calling me to be an advocate and the best way to do that was by becoming a lawyer, so then I took the LSAT and applied to law school.
3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
I was a Senior Interviewer and tutor in the Spanish Writing Center, Nativity School, and Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program with Ascentria Care Alliance. I was also a Liturgical Minister, participated in the Spring Break Immersion Program (where I met my husband!), and worked in Cool Beans.
4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
At Holy Cross, I was a History and Spanish double major. Both taught me to think critically, read and synthesize large amounts of information under time pressure, and hone my writing skills—all of which I rely on in my career as a policyholder-side insurance coverage attorney advising clients on complex insurance coverage issues.
5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
I participated in the History Honors Program and wrote a senior thesis (shout out to Professors Yuhl and Miller) — which taught me the discipline required for self-directed work as well as the research and writing skills that litigation requires.
6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?
Don’t wait to get involved and take advantage of every opportunity. Holy Cross has so much to offer. Try a club, sport, internship, or volunteer—whatever you think you might be interested in! Also, cherish your friendships and your time on the Hill. Four years goes by more quickly than you can imagine. Professionally, start growing your network now and when you reach out to alums, make yourself available around their schedules!
7. What are your thoughts on how AI has impacted or will impact your industry? What advice do you have for students as they prepare to enter a professional world where AI is prevalent?
AI is impacting the legal industry in myriad ways. In the litigation space, it is creating efficiencies but also replacing some of the research and drafting that junior attorneys traditionally would perform.