Visiting Washington and Lee School of Law After Being Admitted

Author: Reed Fagg | Major: Finance, Political Science | Semester: Fall 2023

I have long had the goal of attending law school. Over the summer of 2023, I took the Law School Admissions Test and began my application process. I wanted to pursue research for my Honors College thesis that reflected both my academic interests and pushed me to learn the way law students approach cases. My mentor, Professor Kim Petrone, having a Juris Doctor herself, was well-equipped to guide me in this journey and has been instrumental in her leadership and advice in this project. For my honors thesis, I am exploring the cases that overturned Affirmative Action programs in the United States and how the Supreme Court understood the Fourteenth Amendment in order to come to this ruling. I am interested in the Court’s interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and how the Justices read their own precedent today. Law students are tasked with deeply annotating a variety of cases that form a foundation of their legal education. This skill is often one of the major hurdles for new students, so Professor Petrone thought it best that this project should be primarily focused on a focused reading and annotation of the holding. This case, among a few others, has become the focal point of a more conservative leaning Court- being studied by a variety of legal scholars for their impact on American jurisprudence. I am joining this academic focus by breaking down this case, both to better understand the modern Court and to prepare me to contribute to legal academia.

Choosing my topic was fairly straightforward. I selected Professor Petrone to be my advisor because of her legal expertise and experience. She was my instructor for Honors Business Law, and I deeply admire her teaching technique and ability to push students and support them at the same time. Professor Petrone and I wanted to pick a current legal dispute, one that had not been argued yet, so I was able to do my own research of the arguments, listen to the oral arguments from the petitioner and respondent, and come to my own conclusion before annotating the released opinion. We chose Affirmative Action as it pertained somewhat to my work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives with the Interfraternity Council- something I am deeply passionate about. Professor Petrone is adept at combining academic and personal interests, and she quickly helped me find this case and we hit the ground running. The most challenging aspect of this project was trying to work my way through legal vocabulary and the many cases that formed the precedent for the issue before the Court. I combed through about fifty years of Supreme Court opinions that were tied to this case, about ten in total, and took notes on the Court’s reading of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court originally held that Affirmative Action programs were supported, under certain provisions. Now, however, the Court reads these provisions as not being supported, especially in light of Justice O’Connor’s clause mandating these programs must end after twenty-five years. It is vital to be able to track continuity and change in the law, and this project has forced me to learn how to do just that. Throughout this process, I was also studying for the LSAT, applying to schools, and completing undergraduate coursework. This juggling was difficult, and I admittedly missed meetings with my advisor. Juggling responsibilities was a huge personal learning opportunity. I figured out how to better prioritize my time and feel proud of the work I have produced so far and confidence in the lessons I have learned. Professor Petrone has been incredibly forgiving in my faults, yet never failed to challenge me. She understands my abilities, both personally and academically, and will not let me slack. Having a mentor with such a personal understanding of me has been instrumental. I have often turned to Professor Petrone for advice outside the project, and she has been remarkably helpful, going so far as to author a letter of recommendation and reading over my application materials. I truly could not have completed any of this work without her, a sentiment I am sure any of her students could attest to. I was admitted to Washington and Lee School of Law at the end of Fall 2023, my number one choice for admission, and plan to attend in the fall of 2024. The photo attached to this blog post is a photo of me visiting the campus in Lexington, VA over winter break. Additionally, I ended this semester with a 4.0 GPA. Skills developed through this process will undoubtedly serve me well both in my legal education and career. While there is still plenty of work to be completed in the Spring, my work in Fall 2023 has gotten me well underway and I am incredibly excited to wrap this project up with an enhanced understanding of a niche area of law and the skills I will need in the future.