September 09, 2013

From Palatine Hill to Capitol Hill

A career in law is one of many things a student can do with their liberal arts degree. Lewis & Clark teaches students the skills they will need to succeed in law school and in a law, business, government, or politics profession.

A career in law is one of many things a student can do with their liberal arts degree. Lewis & Clark teaches students the skills they will need to succeed in law school and in a business, government, or political profession.

“I got great advice from my political science professors at Lewis & Clark,” Ben Brysacz BA ’09 said. “They were always thoughtful, and constantly pushed me to be a better student and to think critically about the world.”

Brysacz, who started law school at Stanford in 2010, recently took his bar exam. After graduating Lewis & Clark in 2009, he spent some time in Washington, D.C.

“After working in D.C. and talking to mentors, I decided that a legal degree was going to be the right route for the public interest career I wanted,” he said. “I am absolutely certain that I would not have made it through the Stanford Law admissions process without help from my professors at Lewis & Clark.”

Following his year in D.C., Brysacz had an internship at a federal prosecutor’s office, a law firm specializing in appellate litigation, and a national environmental NGO working on climate change policy and Clean Air Act litigation, all while in school at Stanford.

Lewis & Clark provides a pre-law advising structure that allows student to gain the skills and information necessary for applying to law school. Undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in the many public events sponsored by the law school and, in some cases, may also attend law school courses.

Zibby Pillote ’14 contributed to this story.