How did UVA Law prepare you for your practice or career choices?
I've had a wild ride of a legal career ... from the East Coast to West Coast, from dirt lawyer to tech lawyer [Hyman has also worked in transactional real estate affairs as an attorney]. Virginia provided me a great foundation to take on any challenge. I learned to think critically and approach issues in a thorough and logical manner. I learned to communicate effectively and to do so with a collaborative and problem-solving attitude. I didn't merely learn legal concepts at Virginia, but gained valuable insights into how those concepts work in the real world.

Do you have any advice for new UVA Law grads wanting to work in Northern California?
There are a lot of opportunities in Northern California, so one piece of advice is simply to come out and look. My general impression is that the best place for a new graduate to start is with a law firm. Most of the in-house positions will require some level of law firm or other practice experience. Most importantly, be flexible. Northern California is full of entrepreneurs and rapid change. Be willing to take on new challenges and explore new areas of legal practice while at the same time bringing some level of knowledge and expertise to the position. 

How did UVA Law prepare you for your practice or career choices?
The Law School grounded my understanding and practice of the law in a framework of ethics and service to the principles of justice.

Do you have any advice for new UVA Law grads wanting to work in Northern California?
New UVA Law graduates seeking to begin practice in Northern California should confidently espouse their heritage of Southern courtesy gained through their experience at the University. 

Why did you choose Virginia Law?
Virginia Law ticked all the boxes on my "what do I want from a law school" list. I knew going into law school that I wanted to practice environmental law, but based on what turned out to be very sage advice from a few practicing lawyers, I was looking for a school with a strong overall program, as opposed to one specialized in environmental law. Virginia strikes a perfect balance on that front: nationally recognized excellence in legal education plus a robust environmental law curriculum thanks to the dedication of Professor Jon Cannon. But what truly put UVA Law over the top for me was the real love for the Law School experience that was so evident in Virginia students and alumni but glaringly absent at the other schools on my short list. To this day, when I say to other lawyers, "I loved law school," they have one of two reactions: They either look at me like I'm crazy or they say, "Oh, you must have gone to Virginia."

How did UVA Law prepare you for your practice or career choices?
The legal education at UVA was top-notch — on all the basics, I felt as prepared as anyone coming out of the top-tier U.S. schools. But it's been the more practical classes and experiences at Virginia that have proven most valuable over time. For example, I still have my dog-eared "Accounting for Lawyers" textbook, because I've found nothing endears a lawyer to business clients more than the demonstrated ability to read (and understand) a financial statement and business plan. The Environmental Law Clinic was an invaluable "real world" experience. And I'm sure I wouldn't be where I am today — in a job that I love — without Professor Cannon's mentorship and the perspective he provides from his career in government, private practice and academia. What it comes down to is that UVA Law taught me so much more than just how to "think like a lawyer." It showed me how to move from that rote analysis to generating real solutions.

Do you have any advice for new UVA Law grads wanting to work in Northern California?

The Bay Area legal community is surprisingly small and in some ways quite insular. So take advantage of the UVA alumni database and work those connections. Also, as with any job search, try to put yourself in the employer's position and think about what they are looking for and what they really need. For example, employers here are often cautious about hiring from outside the area because so many people flock to San Francisco or Silicon Valley for the "experience," but with the plan to ultimately settle down somewhere else. So look for ways to show them you're committed to Northern California for the long haul, and be ready to explain why it's right for you. At the same time, own your status as someone different from the candidates they are used to seeing and how your unique background or experience makes you valuable to them. 

How did UVA Law prepare you for your practice or career choices?
The classes and material were challenging and pushed me to study hard. More importantly, though, were the examples set by, and the inspiration provided by, the professors there. The faculty modeled how to do things right, how to combine intellectual ability with integrity, conscientiousness, curiosity, and civility. To this day I sit up straighter when I think about teachers like Bob Scott and Stanley Henderson.

Do you have any advice for new UVA Law grads wanting to work in Northern California?
Go for it, but go in with open eyes. There is a lot of great legal work and there are a lot of great firms here, and the place is wildly welcoming of talent. There are also a lot of people who want to be here, so you need to be prepared for a competitive marketplace (as well as crazy housing and other prices). A great thing is that there is such variety and volume in the legal practice and among potential employers generally; you might be on a product team in a startup, you might run a nonprofit (there are lots of them), or you might be in a major firm doing Pacific Rim M&A. All kinds of things to explore out here, and the UVA Law experience will prepare you well. 

How did UVA Law prepare you for your practice or career choices?
Honestly, it was probably things like first-year oral arguments, moot court, singing in the Libel Show band and doing gigs around Charlottesville — stuff that required performing at a high level in front of an audience. There's something terrifying yet exhilarating about performing in front of people. If you embrace it and get good at it, whether you're arguing in a courtroom or speaking to a board of directors, it gives you the confidence to take some risks in your career, because you know you can be at your best when the pressure is on. 

Do you have any advice for new UVA Law grads wanting to work in Northern California?
The easiest way would be to get a job at a big West Coast firm. If you're an East Coaster like me and want to work in-house, you should get trained up as a lawyer as quickly as possible, have an interest in tech and get experience in that world through whatever private, public or nonprofit job you're in. Tech very much has its own language, so learn it. You don't have to be a superstar, just be conversant and you'll be miles ahead of most lawyers and business people. Then start dropping resumes, attending conferences, reaching out to alums, meeting people who work in tech. Silicon Valley is enormously dynamic, so job situations are rarely static and advancement is rarely linear, even at established companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook and HP. That means you have to take opportunities when they come, not when it's convenient for you. If you get your foot in the door there's a great deal of opportunity, because there's an enormous demand for competent, business-savvy lawyers in Silicon Valley.