Meet the Graduates

Hometown: New York City and Westchester County, New York

Who I was then: I graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Knowing that I wanted to work in government but still unsure whether I wanted to practice law, I studied public administration and policy at the New York University Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. In between graduating from NYU Wagner and starting law school, I interned on the U.S. Department of State’s Anticorruption Team, at the Office of the Appellate Defender, and in the Suffolk County (N.Y.) District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Bureau.

Amazing law school class: I cannot name only one, so I will name my favorites. In terms of classes taught by full-time professors, it’s a four-way tie between Professor Rachel Bayefsky’s Federal Courts, Professor Frederick Schauer’s Evidence, Professor Barbara Armacost’s Criminal Investigation, and Professor Michael Collins’ Civil Procedure. Why those? Two reasons. First, because of what they taught. I loved learning about how and when courts can help injured people. More generally, who decides the applicable law and finds facts, and why? Second, because of how they taught. I learned best when professors slowly walked through each doctrine’s order of operations. For example, “first, courts ask this question; then, in determining the answer to that question, courts apply the following factors,” and so on. I think these four professors did that most consistently.

In terms of classes taught by adjunct professors or lecturers, it’s a three-way tie between the class on Robert S. Mueller III’s special counsel investigation into Russian interference and potential obstruction of justice, taught by those who ran the investigation; Senior U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff’s class on scientific evidence in federal court; and Tim Heaphy and Judge Lisa Lorish’s class on Law and Riots, which covered Charlottesville’s Unite the Right rally and the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Given the stature of the lecturers and the import of the subject matter, I think it’s clear why these were “amazing” classes.

Outside class: I was managing editor of the Journal of Law & Politics, a clinic student in the Law School’s Innocence Project, a student judge on the University Judiciary Committee and the Judicial Review Board, and a research assistant to Professors Rachel Bayefsky and Aditya Bamzai.

Favorite outing/activity to unwind: Early-ish morning, pre-class workouts at North Grounds Rec Center with my trusted accountability buddy and best friend, Monica Garlinska ’23.

Noteworthy summer job: Though I learned a great deal from both of my summer jobs — as a 1L summer intern for U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York, and a 2L summer associate in Covington & Burling’s New York office — I will focus on my judicial internship because of how I think it will help me be a better future prosecutor. By observing a complex sex trafficking conspiracy jury trial to verdict with able counsel on both sides, I saw good trial lawyering first-hand. I also gained some insight into how a federal judge thinks. For example, I learned from Judge Engelmayer how to properly apply the (18 U.S.C) Section 3553 factors to impose an appropriate sentence. Lastly, working with Judge Engelmayer’s talented law clerks to assist in drafting his opinions and orders sharpened my legal analytical and writing skills.

What’s next: (job/location): I will proudly return home to NYC to serve as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Who I am now: I deliberately chose classes and extracurriculars that would test my assumptions and expose me to the widest variety of viewpoints and considerations. Some examples: I took Criminal Adjudication taught by a brilliant former public defender (Professor Thomas Frampton); I externed both at the U.S. DOJ’s Criminal Division and in chambers of Senior District Judge Reggie B. Walton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who had presided over several of the Jan. 6 defendants’ cases; I joined the UVA Law Innocence Project Clinic; and I did an independent research study—supervised by a former DOJ honors attorney (Professor Richard Re) — on plea bargaining’s constitutionality.

So, who am I now? At bottom, I think I’m a more cerebral, independent thinker. I try harder to calmly understand all sides of an argument, reserving judgment until I’m reasonably certain that I’ve considered all relevant law and facts. I’ve become more process-oriented: I focus more on how I reach a decision rather than on what decision I reach. And I’ve become more comfortable being “alone”: I can take positions that I think are correct even if unpopular in the moment, which will help me fulfill my ethical duty to represent controversial or unpopular clients and causes. Thanks to UVA Law, I feel ready to dedicate myself to upholding the rule of law in NYC as a prosecutor.

What you should know about Virginia Law: I think these three are most important: As a whole, our students and faculty (as well as the outside speakers who are brought in) have very diverse opinions and priorities, some of which you may disagree with. I consider this a virtue, not a vice. It simulates our pluralistic world outside UVA Law. Moreover, hearing and engaging with opinions that I think are incorrect gives me the chance to carefully scrutinize them and develop counterarguments.

There are abundant professional and academic support resources here to get you to where you want to go — particularly Assistant Dean Leah Gould at the Public Service Center and Assistant Dean Sarah Davies in the Office of Student Affairs. When I was applying to public service jobs, I met with Leah nearly a dozen times to review my application essays, discuss strategy and prepare for interviews. And when I wanted to improve my time management as a 1L, I met with Dean Davies, who helped me create a Microsoft Excel chart allocating time for class, reading for class, outlining, sleep, office hours, the gym, etc. — a rubric that I still use today. In short, these resources helped me see and reach my potential.

Get to know the ScoCo Greenberry’s and dining room staff — Ms. Mandy, Ms. Joann, Ms. Yolonda, Chef Earl and Ms. Victoria. For one, no matter how stressed I was, they would always make me smile and laugh. For another, and more importantly, my conversations with them were reminders that one ordinarily doesn’t know what another has been through until one asks. Several of them have powerful law-related stories — Ms. Mandy and Ms. Yolonda, I’m thinking of you.

Hometown: Anywhere and nowhere, USA. I moved a lot as a child, with stops along the way in Madison, Wisconsin; Missoula, Montana; and Atlanta. 

Who I was then: In the years leading up to law school, I was in Vancouver, Canada, working on my master’s degree in environmental science and policy at the University of British Columbia during the week and skiing on the weekends. As my time there was coming to a close and COVID was shutting the world down, I found myself trying to decide whether to continue on into a Ph.D. program or come to law school. One of my thesis advisers, a superstar environmental rights lawyer, encouraged me to pursue a law degree so that I could better understand environmental law and policy from a practitioner’s point of view, and that’s exactly what I did. 

Amazing law school class: Frankly, there hasn’t been a dud in the bunch. But I particularly enjoyed my work with the Environmental Law and Community Engagement Clinic. Professor Cale Jaffe gave me the opportunity to work on Supreme Court amicus briefs and to work with and learn from inspirational clients like the members of the nonprofit AMMD Pine Grove Project. Being able to apply my growing legal skills to real-world matters and work with and for real clients was a welcome and fulfilling challenge. 

Outside class: I served as the secretary and then the diversity, equity and inclusion co-chair for Virginia Law Women, secretary for Women of Color, outreach chair for the Virginia Environmental Law Forum, and a member of the 2023 Community Fellows class. I particularly loved getting the opportunity to represent and advocate for the women of the law school on matters including the provision of female hygiene products to advocating for diversity in the workplace. I’ve also had the opportunity to keep a foot in academia by collaborating on an article challenging the species conservation framework with Professor Michael Livermore, and on a book chapter with Professor Cale Jaffe exploring holistic environmental legal protections provided by the Clean Water Act. I’d be remiss in failing to note how grateful I am for my amazing law school friends who have stepped up and showed up for me time and time again over the past three years. 

Favorite outing/activity to unwind: My law school stress relief has been hiking: from exploring the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah mountains with my pandemic puppy, Mochi, to completing the Salkantay trek in Peru last summer, I love nothing more than walking it out in nature.

Noteworthy summer job: I loved both of my summer jobs. I spent my 1L summer as a judicial intern for Judge Dana Christensen at the U.S. District Court in Missoula, Montana, where I had the opportunity to observe court proceedings and work on endangered species cases. I then spent my 2L summer at the D.C. office of the environmental law firm Beveridge & Diamond. As a certified eco-nerd, I enjoyed working on climate change, water quality and environmental justice matters.

What’s next: (job/location): I’ll spend next year clerking for U.S. Judge Gina Mendez-Miro at the District of Puerto Rico. Then, I’ll return to Virginia the following year to clerk for a UVA alum, U.S. Judge Robert Ballou, at the Western District of Virginia District Court. After that, I plan to head out West to work for the environmental law firm Beveridge & Diamond in their San Francisco office.

Who I am now: UVA’s faculty and students certainly taught me how to think, read and speak like a lawyer. But more importantly, I think the people here have helped ground me in foundational principles of equity, justice and compassion. Just as President Jim Ryan likes to say, UVA strives to not only make its students great, but also good. And while I have learned many practical skills at UVA Law, my friends and mentors have always reminded me to hold onto my core values. So who am I now? I hope I have retained my values, passions and morals. But what I can say is these last three years have enriched my life with wonderful people who are shining examples of what it is to be an extraordinary mentor, friend, listener, scholar and advocate.

What you should know about Virginia Law: I won’t lie, law school is stressful. You will lose sleep, dry out hundreds of highlighters, and stress-eat thousands of free popcorn and goldfish snacks from Student Affairs. But at UVA Law, you’ll be facing those challenges with a built-in family and team. From people cheering you on after a hard cold call to grabbing coffee with a classmate with whom you fundamentally disagree, the people at this school will respectfully challenge you and raise you up. They will not only inspire you to be better — if you’re open to it, they will make you a better lawyer and a better person.

Hometown: Atlanta

Who I was then: I graduated from the Batten School at the University of Virginia in 2020. I loved Charlottesville too much to fathom leaving — I still feel that way! — so it was an easy call to stay for three more years.

Amazing law school class: I can’t pick just one! I loved Federal Courts with Payvand Ahdout, Class Actions with Scott Ballenger, Civil Rights Litigation with Thomas Frampton, and Religious Liberty with Micah Schwartzman [’05]. I also had a really great experience with my independent study, and would definitely encourage anyone who, like me, has a never-ending list of grievances about the law to write about them — and get credit for it!

Outside class:  I served as articles development editor for the Virginia Law Review and co-chair of the Graduation Committee. I was a research assistant for Professors A. E. Dick Howard, Sai Prakash and Payvand Ahdout. I was also a Law Ambassador, and co-chair of Admitted Students’ Weekend. Getting to meet prospective students was definitely one of my favorite parts of law school.

Favorite outing/activity to unwind: I got a puppy last summer, and have been loving taking him to all of my favorite Charlottesville spots. He notoriously loves to get pup cups at Shenandoah Joe. My goal for 3L year was to visit every coffee shop in Charlottesville, and I’m proud to say I only have a couple left on my list. It’s been a fun way to explore Charlottesville away from Grounds.

Noteworthy summer job: I spent my 1L summer interning for Judge James Boasberg on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. I’m incredibly grateful to have gotten to learn from Judge Boasberg and his clerks, and to have gotten courtroom experience my first summer.

What’s next: (job/location) I’ll return to Williams & Connolly in D.C. next fall, then will clerk for Judge Stephanie Gallagher on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in 2024 and for Judge Albert Diaz on the Fourth Circuit in 2025.

Who I am now: I never expected to like law school as much as I did. As excited as I am for new adventures, I’m really sad that law school’s over, and even sadder to leave Charlottesville. I’ve spent literally my entire adult life here, and really have started to call it home. With the help of so many people here, I figured out what I’m passionate about, and how to channel all that energy into something productive. I’d say it’s been seven years well spent.

What you should know about Virginia Law: Around every corner here, you’ll find people who want to cheer you on. Law school is hard, but it’s a lot easier when you’re surrounded by people who want you to succeed, and equally want you to be happy. It’s probably clichéd to say that we really love each other here, but in my experience, it’s true. That has made all the difference for me.

Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Who I was then: I graduated from Kennesaw State University summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science in May 2019. While at KSU, I was a competitive swimmer for KSU’s club team, studied abroad in Peru, and was a criminal investigations intern at the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office. After graduation, I received the Outstanding Alumni Award for KSU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Amazing law school class: It is impossible to pick one class. UVA has such outstanding professors and course offerings! Anytime someone asks for professor recommendations, my go-to is Professor Anne Coughlin. I have taken both Criminal Investigations and Feminist Jurisprudence with Professor Coughlin. I have also liked taking two courses — Repugnant Transactions and Advanced Contracts — with Professor Kimberly Krawiec. I thoroughly enjoyed Professor  Krawiec’s unique perspective on the law.

Outside class: During my first year, I served as a Community Law Fellow and participated in the Nelson Mandela International Negotiations Competition as a member of the Black Law Students Association. As a second-year, I was a Peer Advisor, the vice president of career development for Lone Star Lawyers, and a professional programs co-chair for Virginia Law Women, where I hosted our annual Women in BigLaw event. As a third-year, I’ve focused on informal mentoring for current 1Ls while taking time to explore Charlottesville.

Favorite outing/activity to unwind: Walking around North Grounds and McIntire Park with my dog, Leo. When I’m not with Leo, I’ve enjoyed going to the Sunset Series at Carter Mountain and exploring the different wineries around Charlottesville.

Noteworthy summer job: During my 2L summer, I was a summer associate at White & Case in their Houston office and had a fantastic experience. I was given the opportunity to gain exposure to challenging and unique corporate work while learning from brilliant and welcoming attorneys. My time at White & Case confirmed my goal of being a corporate attorney.

What’s next: After the bar exam, I will join White & Case in their Houston office as a first-year associate, where I will be doing corporate work.

Who I am now: While law school was difficult, I am grateful for the experience and skills I learned during my three years. I have not only become more confident in my abilities, but I have also learned to be curious and always ask questions. While my time at UVA Law is ending, I am looking forward to using what I’ve learned during my time here in my future career.

What you should know about Virginia Law: It is well known that Virginia Law is a special place. This is because of the people, both former and current. The alumni network is undoubtedly one of the reasons why I chose to attend UVA Law. To current and future students: Take advantage of the support and connections that come with being a part of the Virginia Law community.

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Who I was then: After graduating from UVA in 2017, I worked as a line cook at Noodles & Company while studying for the LSAT. Eventually I became an LSAT tutor and taught the test at night while working at restaurants during the day.
 
Amazing law school class: I loved the fusion of legal and historical analysis that I found in Professor Cynthia Nicoletti’s legal history classes. And Professor Cathy Hwang’s Mergers and Acquisitions class as well as her “Star Wars”-themed Seminar in Ethical Values with Professor Thomas Haley were a delight!
 
Outside class: Though we missed out on many classic law school experiences when we were 1Ls, I was lucky to vicariously experience those events through being a Peer Advisor. I also was happy to help revive the Virginia Law Wine Society this year, and I enjoyed mentoring undergraduate students who were interested in law school.
 
Favorite outing/activity to unwind: My favorite way to relax after class was cooking dinner for my friends — many thanks to Matthew Kim ’23 for taste-testing all my pizza recipes!

Noteworthy summer job: I worked as a research assistant for Professor Cathy Hwang after my 1L year and as a summer associate at Simpson Thacher after my 2L year.
 
What’s next: (job/location) I will be studying for the bar at home in Virginia Beach while enjoying the sunny weather with my family. After that, I will return to Simpson Thacher as an associate in the Washington, D.C., office.
 
Who I am now: Law school has given me a foundation to succeed wherever my legal career takes me. Outside of career preparation, though, I am glad that it has given me time to reflect on our institutions and our history. I came to law school with the hope of becoming a better historical scholar — I’m happy that UVA helped me do just that.

What you should know about Virginia Law: My journey as a Wahoo began 10 years ago, and I will miss UVA when I leave. The law school especially was full of kind and curious peers and professors. You can lean on them when times are tough, so it’s important to give back to the community when you can. And remember, those three years at school go by fast! Try to make the most of your time here.

Hometown: Conway, South Carolina

Who I was then: I graduated from Clemson University in 2015 with a double major in political science and theater. My intention when I started college was to go to law school, but I diverted from that plan and spent five years making theater and working for a professional nonprofit theater in the San Francisco Bay Area. Some people think that is a strange route, but it has always made sense to me. Theater is about empathy, community and examining who we are to one another and why people behave the way they do, and the law is one of the most important things that binds society together and defines our relationships with one another. It’s all about people.

Amazing law school class: I was fortunate to be able to take many excellent classes at UVA Law, learning from professors and peers alike. There were some that I enjoyed simply because they had the perfect mix of interesting material and an excellent, engaging professor, like Antitrust with Thomas Nachbar, Evidence with Michael Collins, Employment Law with Rip Verkerke and Civil Rights Litigation with Thomas Frampton. My favorite class, however, was After Dobbs, a short course taught in the fall of 2022 by Anne Coughlin, Naomi Cahn and Bonnie Gordon that focused on the immediacy and severity of the issues faced by women and trans men seeking health care in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. We spoke with real-world health practitioners and politicians, generated small bits of scholarship attempting to cover the vast array of issues suddenly facing hundreds of millions of Americans, and had invaluably honest in-class conversations that will stick with me throughout my life and career.

Outside class: I had the opportunity to be involved in several great student organizations and programs while at UVA Law. I was the programming chair for the Lambda Law Alliance, the co-chair of the Admissions Student Life Panels, an admissions ambassador and a member of excellent groups like Virginia Law First Generation Professionals, OWLs and many others. I also got the chance to be a Peer Advisor during my 2L and 3L years, which was a lot of fun as I got to know the incoming classes from the beginning and watch as they thrived throughout 1L and beyond. Working with Admissions was a particular highlight because one of the main reasons I picked UVA Law was all of the great things I heard from students they connected me with after I was admitted, and having the opportunity to pay that forward was incredibly rewarding.

Favorite outing/activity to unwind: It’s cliché around here, but softball was something I always looked forward to. My section stayed together and fielded a team all three years, and although we didn’t manage to win as many games as years we played, it was always a good time. Beyond that, it would not be uncommon to catch me going to see a movie with my partner, taking a day trip to D.C. or drinking a frozen margarita the size of my head at Plaza Azteca down the street.

Noteworthy summer job: My first summer I worked for a great firm called Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton out of their Atlanta office. Except only sort of out of their Atlanta office, because it was just after COVID vaccines became available and things were still largely remote. Since I could work from anywhere, my partner and I decided to spend the first half of the summer living in a remote cabin in Vermont (with excellent wi-fi). A great way to beat the heat, but not a great way to beat the FOMO when the world starts opening up faster than you expected and you’re ready to be around people again. We made it down to Atlanta for the second half of the summer, and I ate more fried chicken in a month than any one person probably should in a lifetime.

What’s next: (job/location) After spending the summer studying for the New York bar exam in Charlottesville, I’ll be moving to New York City and working in the antitrust group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. I spent my 2L summer with Skadden and left knowing without a doubt that it was the right firm and the right location for me to get started with my legal career.

Who I am now: I often tell people I needed my five years away from school to grow up, but looking back, I realize that growth never stopped. Law school has, for the better, completely reshaped the way I think about the world, simultaneously making me a more cautious, critical thinker while further deepening my sense of empathy. I have been able to meet some of the smartest, kindest, most interesting people I will ever know during my time here and they have taught me so much that I will carry forward with me forever.

What you should know about Virginia Law: Forget everything you’ve heard or think you might know about it. Your time here will be purely what you and your classmates make of it, and you get to choose what kind of experience you have. The most important thing is just to make that choice. Go on that hike, go to that party, join that study group, play softball, hang out with that friend you made walking home after your Contracts class, and figure out who you’re going to be for three years here. UVA Law is broad enough and welcoming enough that you can find your people and make it your own. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Just make the choice!

 

Hometown: Hastings-on-Hudson, New York

Who I was then: I graduated from Barnard College in 2015, and went on to get my M.A. in religion from Syracuse University in 2017. After graduate school, I worked for a nonprofit called the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, doing diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting and training.

Amazing law school class: It’s really difficult to pick a favorite! I loved Professor Andrew Block’s Children and the Law and Professor Kim Forde-Mazrui’s Racial Justice and Law, both classes I still think about a lot. I’m so grateful that Professor David Law and Professor Chinh Le co-taught Asian Americans and the Law this past fall — it was a great group of people and a fantastic opportunity to explore how intertwined Asian American history and American legal history are. I have also loved every class I’ve taken with Professor Rip Verkerke (Employment Law: Wage & Hour has proven particularly useful!) and Professor Annie Kim (for any public service-oriented students, the fellowships short course is really helpful even if, like me, you end up not going the fellowships route).

Outside class: I was a legal writing fellow for Professor Joe Fore, a professional programs co-chair for Virginia Law Women, the vice president for pro bono and later the vice president for career development for the Virginia Employment and Labor Law Association, a Law and Public Service Fellow, and on the editorial board of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law.

Favorite outing/activity to unwind: I loved going for tea at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar and then browsing bookstores on the Downtown Mall. There are some really great bookstores, and the Virginia Festival of the Book is incredibly fun. I also loved going to see movies at the Paramount Theater when possible because it’s a beautiful old theater. Charlottesville is a great town for bakeries, and I would take any excuse to eat Marie Bette pastries and bread.

Noteworthy summer job: I loved both my summer jobs! My 1L summer I was as a Peggy Browning Fellow at the National Treasury Employees Union, where I got work with both their Office of General Counsel and their D.C. field office. I spent my 2L summer with the Department of Labor’s New York Regional Solicitor’s Office and loved it. I got to see and be involved with the wide range of work that regional DOL offices take on, from wage and hour, to health and safety, to employee benefits work. Those experiences really solidified my commitment to labor and employment law.

What’s next: I will be a clerk for the administrative law judges in the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Office, in the Executive Office of Immigration Review at the Department of Justice. I’m really excited to be working at the intersection of immigration and employment law!

Who I am now: I’m more confident in my abilities, particularly that I can be an advocate and creative legal thinker. Law school has made me think much more about how to be a clear and accessible writer, and taught me to become aware of and to let go of my assumptions when meeting and talking to new people.