Scott Chamberlain, a second-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law, has been named as the new editor-in-chief of the Virginia Law Review. The review, now in its 109th year of publication, is one of the nation’s most prestigious law journals.
Chamberlain answered a few questions about himself, goals for the journal and advice for 1L students. Tryouts for all student journals start on Feb. 25, with personal statements due on Feb. 23.
Hometown: I grew up in Canton, Massachusetts, and stayed in Massachusetts for my undergrad, so Boston is home for me.
Prior education: B.A. in sociology and history, Boston College.
Prior work experience: Prior to attending law school, I spent two years as a consultant and project manager at a health care technology company called Epic. After that, I worked as a project manager in the nonprofit sector in San Francisco for a few years.
Future career plans: I am pursuing a career in public interest law, specifically in policy and legislative work.
Favorite law class or subject: I’ve most enjoyed classes in administrative and constitutional law. Exploring various theories of legal interpretation has been immensely helpful in fully understanding the meaning of judicial holdings and statutes in my other courses. I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in exciting hands-on policy work through the State and Local Government Policy Clinic. This school year, I've worked with a state senator to draft legislation aimed at revitalizing a state-funded youth intervention program, and I recently testified on behalf of the bill, which successfully passed from the Senate to the House.
Other activities at the Law School: I am the pro bono chair for the Lambda Law Alliance and a Program in Law and Public Service fellow, and was a volunteer on the UVA Law Innocence Project’s policy team my 1L year.
Goals for the Virginia Law Review: We are lucky to be following a managing board that prioritized promoting thought leadership on emerging legal issues and broadening the reach of Virginia Law Review Online through exciting initiatives and forums. Our goals are to continue VLR’s tradition of publishing well-researched legal analysis on a variety of topics and advancing student scholarship.
Additionally, while the volume of submissions and demands on student time have increased in recent decades thanks in part to modern technology and publishing pressure on scholars, the structures of legal publications have not always kept pace to reflect these changes. We are excited to work with peer journals, bar associations and law school faculty to explore options, such as academic credit for journal work, that will allow editorial boards to devote the time and care needed for reviewing pieces and publishing scholarship. We are also eager to benchmark our submission acceptance standards to peer journals so we can increase equity and transparency in our selection process.
Advice for 1Ls: Law school moves quickly, and you will receive a lot of well-meaning advice about how to spend your time. First, set goals for yourself early and use those goals to ground yourself during your law school journey. Second, incorporate advice that best serves your goals, but don’t feel unduly pressured to pursue opportunities just because you feel that you're “supposed” to do it. Third, get to know your professors! In addition to being giants in their fields, UVA Law professors are warm, thoughtful and genuinely interested in seeing you succeed. Stop by their office hours or ask them to grab coffee. You never know what kinds of friendships, mentorships or professional connections you will foster. Lastly, consider a career in public interest law! There are many fulfilling and engaging career options available to public interest attorneys. Explore those options by volunteering with many of the incredible pro bono organizations at UVA or by spending a summer with a public interest organization.
Rounding out the managing board are:
Managing Editor
Hayden A. Little
Membership & Inclusion Editor
Alex N. Briggs
Assistant Managing Editor
Marley Peters
Online Development Editor
Sydney A. Stanley
Articles Development Editors
Julia R. Grant
Harper A. North
Notes Development Editor
Laura E. Lowry
Online Editors
Julia J. Eger
Andrew J. Nell
Mustapha O. Yoosuf-Akinlaja
Articles Editors
Caroline X. Hardie
Boyd I.R. Hampton
David H. Kinnaird
Julia J. Mroz
Dev P. Ranjan
Cara E. Souto
Ethan C. Treacy
Regina Zeng
Notes Editors
Holly C. Bard
Jeffrey R. Horn
Jaime S. Miller
Michael R. Testa
Lead Executive Editor
Annabella M. Waszkiewicz
Executive Editors
S. John Faber
Natalia Heguaburo
Rachel D. Martin
Lydia A. Mills
Thomas J. Schnoor
Riley K. Segars
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
