My Time at W&L Law: Amy Conant

With less than a month left in the 2012-2013 academic year, we asked several of our third-year students to reflect upon their time at W&L Law. Today, Amy Conant takes on the topic.

To some people the term “law school” conjures up visions of busy and important people doing busy and important things. Studying. Outlining.  Career building. Networking. Usually in suits.  But when I first spoke to an undergrad/law alumnus (Class of 1950, 1952 Law), he assured me that W&L was different.  Yes, you have the professional school experience, but you take away so much more than that.

When I look back on my time at W&L Law, I don’t think I’ll remember myself in a suit. I will remember being in a football jersey on Friday afternoons playing in the law school football league (LSFL).  I spent my first Friday in law school playing touch football with a seemingly random assortment of teammates: from the Chicago debutante/ultimate Frisbee champ straight through from undergrad, to the West Coast sports fanatic/Ivy League graduate, to our fearless captain and native Canadian who had worked overseas before deciding to come to law school in Virginia.  We were the rag-tag underdogs, dubbed the “Maple Briefs” in honor of our Canadian contingent.  I went into that first game knowing little about my teammates and even less about football.  We played a team of 3Ls and were unmercifully slaughtered.  But not only did the Maple Briefs go on to make the playoffs that year, those random teammates from the first week of law school became some of the best friends I’ve ever had.  Now, nearly three years later their roles have evolved to include moot court co-counsel, fellow journal staff writers, executive board members, and legal clinic partners.  Law school is tough enough without cut-throat competition with your classmates.  W&L’s strong focus on a collegial environment emphasizes collaboration over competition.

W&L allows me to feel like more than just a student at school. I’m a member of a unique, close-knit community.  Having attended W&L for undergrad, I had certain expectations for what I wanted in a law school—small class size, approachable professors, collegial atmosphere—and I found them all, right across the bridge.  During 1L year when a classmate had surgery, our legal writing professor brought in a card, drawn in crayon by his six-year-old son, for all of us to sign.  Last year, when my friends and I had questions regarding an issue in our Evidence class, our professor didn’t meet us in her office.  Instead, she had us over to her house for coffee on a Saturday morning.  When I mentioned to a professor that I had recently interviewed for a clerkship position, he immediately called the judge himself to personally recommend me.

But W&L has offered me more than a great quality of life in law school.  Because of its small size, W&L doesn’t pigeonhole students into specific extracurricular activities.  During my 2L year, I was able to participate in four out of the five moot court competitions offered, write a student Note for the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice, and also serve as the Secretary of the Student Bar Association.  This year, I’ve gotten a view from the other side of the bench while judging over 80 rounds of oral argument as the administrator for our appellate advocacy moot court competition, coaching a team that will compete at the national moot court competition in April.

When I first started to look at law schools, I confess I wasn’t entirely sold on another three years in Lexington. Now looking back, I couldn’t imagine a better choice.  W&L Law has provided me with all the “basics” you’d expect : I learned how to draft a contract, how to conduct a cross-examination, and how to state a negligence claim.  And yes, I’ve spent my fair share of time wearing a suit.  But what I’ll remember most are the things that happened outside of the classroom: fried pickles at the Palms, live bands on the patio, and winning our first football game (and the celebration that ensued).  Being a part of this community is an unforgettable experience.  While the activities and curriculum may change, this sense of community is something that transcends generations.  It’s what allows me to talk about my law school experience with an alumnus who attended W&L more than half a century ago and feel that, in some ways, we could have been here at the same time.  There’s a unique bond shared by everyone who walks the W&L Colonnade, whether it’s four years in undergrad, three years in law school, or seven years in both. These are the times, friends, and experiences I will never forget.

My Time at W&L Law: Curtis Wilson

With less than a month left in the 2012-2013 academic year, we asked several of our third-year students to reflect upon their time at W&L Law. Today, Curtis Wilson takes on the topic.

As my third year of law school comes to a close at W&L, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on my experiences during my time here.  Many prospective law students may find themselves in the position I did prior to submitting my applications for law school.  I knew very little about Washington and Lee at the beginning of my application process.  I decided to do some research and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.  I learned much from reading the materials that were sent to me.  Everything I read looked so amazing, from the honor system to the small class sizes to the easy access to the professors and faculty.  Like many prospective law students, I was apprehensive that a law school in such a small city location could really have what I was looking for.

Suffice it to say, I found everything I was looking for and more here at W&L.  First of all, the welcoming atmosphere of the town of Lexington is something you have to experience to believe.  From my own personal experience, you don’t find many small towns where the people pour out their hearts and souls to guests and visitors.  The views here are spectacular and will be sorely missed.  The outdoor activities that are available aren’t something that I was used to after living in locations where I had to do significant amounts of traveling just to find a hiking trail.  Some might find that being in such a small location positioned some distance from the big city lights a detraction.  I see it as a plus, simply because I didn’t have to be surrounded by the hustle and bustle every day but travel to it if I wanted.  I will miss the town of Lexington when I’m gone.

The law school alone had me at hello.  My initial experience with the law school was during an open house event and I was highly impressed by the openness and genuine sincerity of the faculty, students and professors.  Coming from a military background, I was looking for a place where I didn’t feel like just a number or statistic.  Instantly I was made to feel as if I was becoming part of a family, a family with a long storied history.  The level of education I was assured that I would receive here and the knowledge that every person here, including my fellow students, would do everything in their power to ensure my success won me over.  Looking back, I would not change a thing about my experience here at W&L.

I will always remember the lively conversations with my professors and the jovial banter with my peers.  I will remember the struggles that I had with my law school courses and the helping hands and kind words that helped me through it.  I will remember the professors pushing and supporting me when I lacked faith in my own abilities.  I will remember W&L.  My experiences here are indelibly etched into me and I will take the spirit of W&L wherever I go.  I am lucky to have had the opportunity to call myself a W&L Law graduate.

My Time at W&L Law: Claire Hagan

With less than a month left in the 2012-2013 academic year, we asked several of our third-year students to reflect upon their time at W&L Law. Today, Claire Hagan takes on the topic.

Law school seems to get a pretty bad rap these days. I don’t know whether most of those criticisms are deserved. I can only speak to the actual experience of law school, the three years spent reading countless cases, writing briefs and notes, cite checking, and trying to do something called “think like a lawyer.” And from this end—the student’s experience—I want to offer a short defense of law school.

Put bluntly, I’ve loved law school. I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much. I arrived at law school pretty naïve—I didn’t know about things like The Curve or about Big Law or about any of that stuff. But even though I started out ignorant in some respects, I came to law school equipped with some fantastic advice. Once I’d decided to actually commit to law school, my father (also a lawyer) advised me to fully commit. Meaning, embrace the three-year experience. Don’t treat law school like it’s just a stepping stone to a good job. Don’t treat law school like it itself is a job. Instead, really dive in, get your hands dirty, and enjoy the experience.

I took his advice to heart, and have spent these three years trying to get as much out of law school as I can. I’m not just in this to get good grades or get a good job. Rather, I’ve tried to focus on the actual experience, and tried to exploit these three years as much as I can.

From what I’ve learned, you should take all the classes that you can, and take classes that you’d never have expected to take. Spend time getting to know your professors outside the classroom. Follow the Supreme Court and read Jeffrey Toobin. Go to class and actually pay attention. Talk to your friends about the law. Spend your second year researching and writing a note about a topic that you love. Read some random law review articles. Try your hand at the Davis competition, even if you hate appellate advocacy. Go watch your classmates shine in the moot court competitions. These are just a few stars in the constellation of ways to go about enjoying law school for its own sake.

I think that if you focus on enjoying law school, you’ll probably end up doing pretty well. And regardless, your time in law school won’t be a waste.

The law school experience is what you make of it—good or bad. Either way, you (only) get three years.

My Time at W&L Law: Jessica Unger

With less than a month left in the 2012-2013 academic year, we asked several of our third-year students to reflect upon their time at W&L Law. Today, Jessica Unger takes on the topic.

It’s hard to believe that I am now at the point in law school when I am being asked to reflect on my time here at W&L Law. There are only a few short weeks left in the Spring 2013 semester, and with that, only a few short weeks left at W&L for my 2013 classmates and myself. I am extremely excited about graduating and moving on into my career as a lawyer, but I must say the feeling is bittersweet. I have had an incredible time at W&L.

My experiences in the third year program this year have truly embodied what W&L has come to mean to me. I am so thankful to have been a part of the third year program, and can confidently say I believe it has better prepared me to practice. My third year program experience started with a desire to intern at the United States Securities & Exchange Commission in Washington, DC, along with two other 3Ls. Unfortunately, the dates when we had to be at the SEC and the dates when we had to be at W&L for other classes conflicted. I was worried my opportunity to intern at the SEC had been halted. But then I remembered-I don’t just attend any law school, I attend W&L Law. We approached Dean Mary Natkin about the issue, and she assured us she would find a solution. Within a few days, Dean Natkin had agreed to form and hold a separate class specifically for my fellow SEC interns and myself. The other professors involved also agreed to alter the curriculum for us to accommodate our internships. We got to do our internship, which was an incredibly rewarding experience. This is truly characteristic of W&L: the faculty wants us to have the experiences we desire, and will bend over backwards to ensure that we get them. They are invested in our well-being, and a true part of the W&L community. I have noticed this as a trend in the faculty stretching back to my first semester of 1L year, and everywhere in between. Having an accessible, interested, and high caliber faculty has truly made my experience at W&L special. And it’s not just the faculty-this sense of community stretches across the entire law school, including the student body, across to the undergrad, and even in to much of Lexington.

The third year program has also prepared me to practice in an incredibly unique way. Many people say that the third year of law school can be superfluous, and should even be done away with. Well, that’s not going to happen. So what did W&L do? They transformed it into something useful-something that will build our knowledge and skill sets. Over the course of my 3L year, I have now drafted a complex LLC operating agreement, negotiated an asset acquisition from start to finish, and presented to a mock Board of Directors. Even better: I did it all in the safety of a classroom with constructive criticism from a mix of professors and practitioners. Additionally, this semester I am participating in the W&L Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, under the guidance of Professor Michelle Drumbl. In the clinic, I have gained meaningful, hands-on experience working with real clients. It has been extremely rewarding knowing that I am assisting the local southwest Virginia community. These are experiences I will carry with me and remember long into my career.

It’s this simple: it is something special to attend W&L. I am so glad that I attended this school, and cannot wait to join the ranks of loyal alumni who remember their time at W&L fondly, and visit Lexington often.

My Time at W&L Law: Tristan de Vega

With less than a month left in the 2012-2013 academic year, we asked several of our third-year students to reflect upon their time at W&L Law. Today, Tristan de Vega takes on the topic.

When I was asked to write about my experience at Washington and Lee Law, I didn’t immediately respond. I was certain that I wanted to help but I didn’t know what differentiated my time at W&L from that of the thousands of other law students throughout the country. Every law student has spent countless hours under the harsh fluorescent library lights dissecting seminal cases like Marbury v. Madison, Miranda v. Arizona and Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad. Each of us has wiped away torrents of the cold sweat that accompanies our first cold call. However, after reflecting on the conversations I’ve had with friends who attended other law schools, I realized that my experience at W&L Law is truly unique.

First, W&L’s is a quiet university town nestled in a largely rural community.  Although I was accepted at law schools in more urban settings, I knew that their library doors would not be thick enough to block out the big city buzz. Lexington provided me with an ideal learning environment: the community is welcoming, the cost of living is incredibly low and there are enough restaurants and bars located in town to provide a temporary reprieve from the casebooks. When the strain of sitting in my carrel became unbearable, I could easily find a running trial or a decent cliff face to scale. And if the weather was too cold to be outside, the University’s gym offered far more than I ever found at the big commercial gyms.

Second, the high caliber of W&L’s faculty combined with low student to professor ratio provided me with unique opportunities that weren’t available to my friends at other law schools. While students at other law schools rely heavily upon TAs for individual help, the professors at W&L made sure that they were always available. I remember that even though my Close Business Association final was only a few days away, Professor Bruner patiently sat with me for a few hours until I final understood the mysterious principles of agency and partnership. The small class sizes also allowed me to form personal relationships with my professors, which in turn led to other opportunities. As a research assistant for Professors Luna and Wilson, I developed an expertise in family law and the legal regimes surrounding terrorism, two largely divergent areas of law that both really interested me. My work with Professors Luna and Wilson not only deepened my knowledge of the law, it also led to letters of recommendation that I feel truly set me apart during the job hunt. Similarly, I believe that the School’s dedication to preparing its students for the practice of law made me a much more competitive job applicant. The School’s partnerships with local law offices helped me to land a year-long internship with the US Attorney’s Office, which in turn allowed me to prosecute cases in federal district court.

Lastly, W&L’s small class size made it easy to get to know my peers and form lasting friendships. On Fridays in the fall, everyone would gather on the lawn to watch and play in the Law School Football League. Although the majority of us were well past our athletic prime, it was still fun to shut our laptops and enjoy each other’s company as we plodded around the shortened field. During the spring semester, we all looked forward to Feb Club, a month of SBA sponsored theme parties that gave us all an excuse to get dressed up and trudge out in the cold. Outside of these organized events, I will always remember just relaxing with my friends, playing volleyball in the sandpits at the General’s Retreat Apartment and splitting pitchers of cheap beer at Mac’s.

So as I look back on my time at W&L Law, I am so thankful for the many opportunities for professional and personal growth and look forward to using these lessons in the service of the Nation.

My Time at W&L Law: Katie Gray

With less than a month left in the 2012-2013 academic year, we asked several of our third-year students to reflect upon their time at W&L Law. Today, Katie Gray takes on the topic.

As we near the last 41 days of law school, I find myself feeling exactly the opposite of what I anticipated feeling upon completing one of the most rigorous fields of study: a longing to return to 1L year. Instead of rejoicing that I am done with school forever, I am shockingly sad to leave.  Instead of celebrating my move to a city with more than three bars, I am strangely going to miss the stress-free decision of what bar to go to, knowing that whichever one I choose, 15 of my friends will be there, and my purse could sit unattended all night only to be retrieved unscathed the next morning. Instead of reveling in the fact that I will never again have to outline for an exam, the O.C.D. in me realizes that I will never have another excuse to make a ridiculously long, color-coded document that involves more time creating headings than absorbing all of its information.  This is it.  This is the last 41 days of school…ever.  As someone who came straight to law school from undergrad, with no experience in the “real world,” it’s a frightening, but exciting feeling to end what seemed like a career in itself: being a student. Yet, I can’t think of a better place to complete my student career, and I walk away confident that there is no better law school, no better professors, and no better friends that could have prepared me for the real world. I walk away having watched the blossoming of a relationship of 2 great friends, from the day they met 1L year to the day they got engaged. I walk away with 8 new, life-long friends from my clinic who I could not be prouder to call my future colleagues. I walk away with valuable lessons from the mistakes I’ve made, but also the challenges to which I’ve risen.

As our countdown to graduation forges ahead, each day I realize something new about W&L that I will miss—yesterday it was Millie in the brief stop, who never fails to crack me up with her cynical one-liners that greet me each morning; today it was the immense (yet pathetic and horribly lazy) satisfaction I get from snatching a lower-level parking spot.  For the past 3 years, this place has become home to me.  As a native Texan, if you had told me 4 years ago that I would be living somewhere called “Lexington, Virginia,” I would have responded that I could never survive in a small town in the “north” where queso is called “cheese dip” at Mexican restaurants. You might have heard that everything is bigger in Texas, and I am living proof of this—after graduating high school with 1,200 students and college with over 50,000 students, moving to a small town and attending one of the smallest law schools in the country initially seemed like it would be a difficult, if not impossible, adjustment.  But it didn’t take more than two hours the first day I arrived for me to realize that there would really be minimal “adjusting” involved.  Within an hour, I had met my roommates, had already recognized how lucky I was that we were all normal after depending on Facebook to find each other, and was walking one block over to another 1L’s house where I befriended 4 more people.

It soon became clear that it was the smallness of this place that would define my experience. Although I will soon be returning to a big city—where my purse can no longer have sleepovers at the bar and strangers will no longer greet me in passing—my experience at W&L has provided truly valuable life lessons beyond the classroom, and beyond what any larger school in Houston, D.C., or New York could provide. There were three distinct qualities of W&L that instantly attracted my attention at admitted students’ weekend, all three of which have proven not only true, but have exceeded my expectations about law school.

First, W&L’s small student-to-teacher ratio appealed to me, as someone who lacked a single relationship with a professor in undergrad. What I didn’t realize is just how much this would affect my education and experience. The small size of W&L allows for individualized attention to every student who seeks it, whether this attention comes in the form of ensuring that you secure a summer internship tailored to your interests, or in the form of professors leaving their doors open and genuinely welcoming questions about anything from torts to general life advice.

Second, and perhaps most remarkably, despite W&L’s geographical distance from major cities, our professors are world-class…literally.  At admitted students’ weekend, W&L’s most attractive feature was its palpable commitment to its Transnational Law Institute. And yet, despite all of the amazing international opportunities—whether it is the wide-array of upper-level international classes, trips to the European Court of Human Rights, or working with lawyers representing Gitmo detainees—what is truly phenomenal about W&L is the team of international “all-stars” who also happen to be our professors.

Half way through my first semester 1L year, I discovered that my torts professor, Johanna Bond, had extensive experience working on issues such as domestic violence and human rights abuses in countries around the world, including Macedonia, Bulgaria, Uganda, Mexico, Nepal, and Cambodia. My transnational law professor, Mark Drumbl, practiced international arbitration before being appointed as co-counsel for the Canadian Chief-of-Defense-Staff before the Royal Commission investigating military wrongdoing in the UN Somalia Mission, and served as defense counsel in the Rwandan genocide trials. My 2L year, I was honored to work as a student editor under Russell Miller—the co-founder of the world’s leading online, peer-reviewed law journal, the German Law Journal. And then there is the beloved professor, Thomas “Speedy” Rice, who runs various programs at W&L that afford students far-reaching opportunities, from assisting JAG attorneys defending prisoners at Gitmo, to partnering with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to train communities in Liberia on the harms associated with extended pre-trial detention. From the day I knocked on Professor Rice’s door to seek advice on securing an internship in Cambodia my 1L summer, he has considerably impacted my law school experience…all before even taking a class with him!  And this is the norm at W&L.

The third feature that drew me to W&L is its commitment to ensuring that every student graduate with substantial practical experience. No matter what legal field you wish to enter, W&L’s third year program almost certainly has an externship, clinic, or practicum to cater to your career goals. I am currently a student attorney in the Criminal Justice Clinic, which provides representation to indigent clients facing criminal charges. As a future public defender, I have the incredible opportunity to work with Professor John D. King, who spent the majority of his pre-teaching career as a Supervising Attorney at one of the most prominent public defender offices in the country, the Public Defender Service for DC. The first day our clinic met in September, I remember being terrified at Professor King’s warning to all of us that we were largely on our own, and that his role would be minimal in our representation of clients. The thought of having someone’s life and liberty in my hands before I was even certified to practice law was, frankly, alarming. Now, as I prepare to enter my career, I realize the immeasurable value of Professor King’s approach—not only am I certain that I can competently represent future clients and confidently stand before a judge to try a case, I am also at an extreme advantage to other newly-graduated prosecutors and defenders.

We may not realize it yet during the madness of the homestretch to graduation, but I think it is safe to say that we will all miss our lives in Lexington—the five minute drive or walk to school, the brightest colored leaves Fall has seen anywhere, kegs on the lawn every Friday, the frequent BBQ’s, Halloween at the Ruins, wine tasting at nearby vineyards, and a familiar face everywhere you go.  W&L is truly a place like no other. No matter what law school you choose, it will inevitably be 3 of the most demanding years of your life. This is absolutely true at W&L. But what makes W&L special is the ability to have a life during those 3 years, and to walk away remembering the people you studied with rather than the countless hours you spent studying.

My Time at W&L Law: Penn Clarke

With less than a month left in the 2012-2013 academic year, we asked several of our third-year students to reflect upon their time at W&L Law. Today, Penn Clarke takes on the topic.

I chose Washington & Lee because of its national reputation, outstanding faculty, small class-size, and proximity to home.  Also, I thought W&L’s third-year program would aid my transition from law student to lawyer.  For these reasons, as well as opportunities I had not anticipated, W&L has been the perfect choice for me.

The third-year program has not disappointed; in fact, it has exceeded my own high expectations.  To satisfy the “actual practice component” of the program, I have spent the entire year working in a judge’s chambers.  Students in the judicial externship program work for circuit judges on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, justices on the Virginia Supreme Court, federal district judges, federal magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, state appellate judges, and state trial judges.  Students analyze briefs, write bench memoranda, draft opinions and dissents, witness hearings and trials, and interact with judges, law clerks, and attorneys.  Working in chambers is an invaluable experience for an aspiring litigator.

Other students have worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office or Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, frequently arguing cases before judges.  Many students participate in one of W&L’s on-site clinics—Black Lung, Criminal Justice, Community Legal Practice, Immigration, Tax, and Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse—where students interact with and counsel real clients in real cases under the supervision of professors.  Some intern at various law firms across the state; others work in various branches of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In addition to the actual practice component, all third-year students enroll in practicums, courses designed to simulate practice.  Because of my litigation-focused externship, I decided to take two transactional-based practicums:  the Cross Border Transactions Practicum and the Business Planning Practicum.

In Business Planning, my classmates and I acted as junior associates and worked closely with Professor Lyman Johnson, who acted as a senior partner.  I drafted an operating agreement for an LLC, negotiated a letter of intent for a joint venture, and evaluated a private company’s IPO proposal.  While Professor Johnson places emphasis on developing the skills of young associates, he does not neglect legal theory.  Throughout the semester, he lectures on securities, tax, and corporate law and weaves together related concepts from these courses in a way that no professor in an isolated tax or corporate course can.  Combining concepts from first- and second-year transactional courses in a third-year practicum creates a bridge to actual practice as an attorney.

For first- and second-year students, opportunities also abound.  They can (and I did) participate in the simulation of practice through our unique Moot Court program, which has five competitions:  the John W. Davis Moot Court Competition, the Robert J. Grey, Jr. Negotiations Competition, the Mock Trial Competition, the Client Counseling Competition, and the Representation in Mediation Competition.  All second- and third-year students may compete in these five intra school competitions, and first-year students may participate as witnesses, clients, timekeepers, and bailiffs.  Students who perform exceptionally well in our intra school competitions then represent Washington & Lee in regional, national, and international competitions.  These external and intra school competitions allow students the opportunity to develop and refine their oral and written advocacy skills by working individually and collaboratively.

The forward-thinking, innovative administration and faculty have made many of these opportunities possible for the law students of W&L.  Commitment to excellence and dedication to students seem to define our professors whose primary goal is educating their students.  One can see this every day in Sydney Lewis Hall, where professors’ doors are always open and where professors are always interested in talking to students about class readings or students’ written work.  The school’s small classes allow professors to give attention to all of us and even to get to know us on a personal level.

I speak for my classmates and myself when I state that Washington & Lee has been a tremendous place to develop as law students and transition to attorneys.  If you seek (1) a proper foundation of legal theory guided by outstanding faculty and (2) confidence that you are prepared on day one of your post-law school job, then you should strongly consider Washington & Lee.