I chose the University of Washington law school because it's where I went for undergrad, because it's the premier law school in the Northwest, because of its commitment to public service, and because it's an incredible bargain.

The education that you get here begins from the moment you walk in the door. It begins with having a quality faculty. Our faculty's incredibly accomplished. And it begins with a real commitment to teaching and you see that in amongst the faculty members who are really trying hard to bring their expertise into the classroom. So you learn really from that example. But then you also learn how to do things on your own. You're thrown out there with a problem and they say, "Figure out how you would address this. If you were representing a company, how would you solve this problem? What sort of advice would you give them? What sort of questions would you ask" And it's learning to do that – how to sort of think outside of the box, apply what you know, and figure out what you don't know – that's really the heart of the legal education that you get.

The University of Washington did live up to my expectations in terms of two things: in terms of its ability to place me in a legal community, to offer me an opportunity to get into two different areas of practice my first summer and this summer; and it's also lived up to my expectations in terms of academics. Last year I was able to work in government. This year I'm going to be working in a law firm. Getting very different sorts of experiences but both building upon the academic foundation that was laid here during the first two years of my law school education.

I think the real thing for people who are looking at coming to the University of Washington, or another law school, is to look at the sorts of experiences you'll be able to have during your time here. What are the faculty involved in? What sorts of research projects are they working on? And what sorts of research opportunities will you have to work with them? What sort of community is the law school in? Here at the University of Washington, there are a number of opportunities to get involved with local bar associations and with people who are working in the community on really any area of law, any area of practice. Those are the sorts of things you should be looking for. The legal education isn't just what you learn in the classroom on a day to day basis. It's really three years of having an opportunity to look at different areas of practice, to engage in scholarship which is something a lot of people don't get to do in practice, and is an opportunity to really expand your understanding of what it means to be a lawyer and to be involved in the law.

Jake Faleschini
Class of 2009

Jill Brunner
Class of 2008

Lisa Kremer
Class of 2008

Nowell Bamberger
Class of 2008

Ray Liaw
Class of 2008