Law student’s summer internship combines his love of flight and law

Aviation law comes with a lot of legs, and Mack Freilich says that suits him just fine.

The rising second-year Scalia Law School student has a strong affinity for flight, so he sees his preferred future legal field as a further extension of doing what he loves.

Freilich was able to personally experience as much this summer when he interned for the Washington Aviation Law Group, a boutique law firm in Washington, D.C., that specifically focuses on aviation law. Freilich and other clerks gained valuable firsthand experience by taking part in case reviews and other critical aspects of the legal process, including sitting in on meetings with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“It’s been very cool to work on different parts of the law,” Freilich said. “It’s really opened my eyes to see how much aviation law intersects with other parts of the law. There’s so much more behind aviation law.”

That experience will likely prove useful this fall when he takes the aviation law course at Mason and returns to the Washington Aviation Law Group as an extern.

“I plan on taking what I learned this summer and applying it,” he said.

Anybody who knows Freilich would hardly be surprised to hear that aviation would be in his future. After working his way through Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in paralegal studies with a minor in criminal justice in 2022, Freilich became a flight attendant so he could see the world.

After starting at PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines in the Midwest and Eastern United States, Freilich moved up to the parent company. He soon lost his job, however, due to pandemic-related cutbacks. After the job loss, Freilich, who had long been interested in law, figured the time was right to pursue a juris doctor degree.

He tries to make a difference wherever he goes and has applied that drive to achieving diversity and inclusivity at Scalia Law by serving on the law school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. The hope, Freilich said, is to help foster a more diverse community within the legal community.

“The DEI Council works hard to foster a welcoming and enriching environment for learning,” he said. “Interacting with peers from diverse backgrounds has broadened my perspectives and deepened my understanding of societal issues. This exposure has prepared me to approach legal challenges with a more inclusive mindset and a keen eye to the issues LGBTQIA+ community faces in the legal profession.”

Freilich credited his decision to attend Scalia Law School for the tremendous opportunities to have come his way so far, calling it “an immensely beneficial decision that has enriched both my personal and professional journey in profound ways.”

“The unique combination of academic excellence, practical experiences, and a vibrant community has contributed significantly to my growth and development as a future attorney,” he said.