The question “What’s next?” can be daunting for undergraduate students, especially when we don’t quite know where our post-graduate path will take us. As the president of the Pre-Law Society, I, alongside our advisers and the executive board, strive to offer students the opportunity to answer at least a part of this question by inviting legal professionals to speak with the group. Many Trinity students interested in pre-law are curious but uncertain about pursuing a legal degree and a career in the legal field, so hearing from successful individuals about their career paths makes all the difference in their exploration process.
The experience is all the more impactful when we have the opportunity to hear from alumni about their legal careers. Because of the powerful connections between our alumni, Jackson Walker (JW), Alumni Relations, and our pre-law program, a summer email about gathering Trinity students interested in law at Jackson Walker became a reality last November when 30 Trinity pre-law students visited the San Antonio office of JW, the largest law firm in Texas.
The JW staff and attorneys welcomed us with open arms and a wonderful array of San Antonio-favorite dishes. We were then given a tour of JW’s brand-new office inside the Jefferson Building at 1900 Broadway. Every detail of the office—from the ceiling pattern that evokes the River Walk to the stunning view overlooking the Pearl District with a glimpse of the Murchison Tower on Trinity’s Skyline Campus—embodies the spirit of San Antonio.
After the tour of the beautiful space, three JW attorneys—Brian Oates ’08, Matthew Cavenaugh ’03, and Jesse S. Lotay ’03—shared their Trinity experiences and how that shaped their decision to go to law school and build their careers at JW. Brian touched on his experience as a student-athlete and how he became enthralled with law after taking a law class at Trinity with John Hermann, Ph.D., in the Department of Political Science. Matthew shared how his seemingly unconventional pair of majors, political science and drama, have both been put to use as a litigator. Finally, Jesse emphasized the importance of his economics and finance degrees and the development of his collaborative and outside-of-the-box approach to working with clients, which has led to his position as the firmwide chair of the Energy Practice.
Following the panel, we mingled with the alumni and more than 15 other JW attorneys specializing in diverse areas of law, including energy, litigation, intellectual property, and corporate and securities. Some were partners with more than 25 years of experience, and others were first-year associates.
What a privilege to hear about these attorneys’ “What’s next?” paths as we are shaping our own! What a gift that we were welcomed into a top legal firm and were offered a glimpse of what it would be like to work in a large, corporate law firm! And what an honor to speak with and learn from Trinity alumni, allowing us to imagine ourselves in their successful shoes! Not all of us will pursue a career in corporate law or even in the legal field, for that matter. Nevertheless, this experience provided us with invaluable insights into the profession and the many paths a legal education can open.
I am incredibly grateful to Jackson Walker, our Trinity alumni, and Alumni Relations for making this opportunity possible for us. They generously offered us their time, insights, and encouragement, leaving a lasting impact on our journeys as aspiring professionals. As we continue forging our own “What’s next?” paths, we will look to the alumni and JW attorneys and their stories to inspire us.