New professor calls himself a ‘constitutional nerd’

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO RICHMOND LAW?
I knew that Richmond Law had an amazing public law faculty, but when I first visited the campus, I was most impressed with the collegiality of the place. In all of my conversations with students, faculty, and staff, everyone spoke of the cooperative and kind atmosphere, and I could feel it myself as soon as I set foot on campus.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER PATH TO THIS POINT?
Circuitous but rewarding. I’ve always tried to pursue opportunities that would allow me to both continue to learn new things and serve the public in meaningful ways. After law school, I clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Following that, I was able to find a nice combination of scholarly and practical experiences — teaching at great places like Penn and Harvard; studying with terrific scholars at Princeton; serving as a public-interest lawyer in Washington, D.C., where I worked on an awesome mix of Supreme Court amicus briefs, legal commentary, and communications strategies around judicial nominations and blockbuster Supreme Court cases; and serving as chief content officer at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Now, I get to teach at a fantastic law school. I’ve been very lucky.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO CURRENT RICHMOND LAW STUDENTS FOR THE COMING YEAR
Harness the energy and expertise of our amazing faculty, and find your passion in the law. I love constitutional law, but I’ve had friends that have fallen in love with pretty much every area of the law. If you’re a fellow constitutional nerd ... or want to learn from someone who loves the Constitution and loves to teach, please don’t hesitate to enroll in one of my classes.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT STUDENTS DO OUTSIDE OF LAW SCHOOL?
Remain connected to the people and things that you love. Law school can be such an all-encompassing experience that we can sometimes forget to continue to be full human beings. So if you love Stephen Sondheim musicals, spend 20 minutes listening to some of your favorite numbers from Sunday in the Park With George or Company. If you love to watch sports or reality TV or classic films, continue to carve out time to watch them. If you love to go to concerts or to the theater, schedule a special outing or two each semester with some friends. If you haven’t talked to your family or your best friend in a while, get in touch with them. If you have a significant other, continue to make time for them. Don’t let law school swallow you whole.