3L SPOTLIGHT: What’s next for AUWCL’s Class of 2018
May 16, 2018
On May 20, 385 students from American University Washington College of Law received their diplomas during AUWCL’s 2018 Spring Commencement. Of those students, 332 graduated with a Juris Doctor (JD), and 53 students graduated with a Master of Laws (LL.M.)
American University Washington College of Law is proud and excited for all our graduates. Leading up to the ceremony, we asked five students to share their goals and future plans, and how their law school experiences at AUWCL helped propel them into the next stage of their legal careers.
Courtney Arnold
Courtney Arnold, a dual-degree J.D./Masters of Public Policy student, will be receiving her AUWCL diploma May 20 before graduating from American University’s School of Public Affairs in December 2018. She is the 2018-19 Berkeley Law Foundation Post-Graduate Fellow, and will be working at AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly on a project titled “Bridging the D.C. Probate Gap.” The project is dedicated to building a network of knowledge and services around probate and estate planning for elders of color in Washington, D.C.
During her time at AUWCL, Arnold was co-chair of the AUWCL chapter of the National Lawyer’s Guild, regional secretary of the Mid-Atlantic Black Law Student Association, a student attorney in the Women and the Law Clinic, and both a teaching and dean’s fellow with the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project.
“I was constantly surprised and amazed by the number of students, faculty, and staff who were willing to help during times of need,” Arnold said. “I am forever grateful for the band of fierce and powerhouse WCL women who stood in my corner when life and law school knocked me down. They made me feel like I was able to take on the world, and ready to become the lawyer and change-agent I am destined to be.”
Michelle Villegas
A Los Angeles native and the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, Michelle Villegas has a passion for social justice and human rights. After graduation, Villegas will join the staff at Ayuda as a Gallogly Fellow to provide accessible, empathetic, and adept legal services to the immigrant community in the D.C. metropolitan area.
During her time at AUWCL, Villegas served on the board of ADVANCE (a mentorship program for first-generation law students), the Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, the National Lawyer's Guild, and the Latinx Law Student Association. She has also taught as a fellow with the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, and worked as a student attorney with the Immigrant Justice Clinic. Villegas said she is excited and ready to work in defense of immigrant rights and the progression of human and civil rights for all members of society.
Sam Escher
Following commencement, Sam Escher will be an honor’s attorney for the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Torts Branch, Aviation and Admiralty Section. Working in litigation, he will focus on aviation and maritime accident cases and claims. During his time at AUWCL, Sam was a member of the Mock Trial Honor Society and the Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law.
Escher’s ultimate goal is “to do my part in making the world a little better, however that may be.”
“AUWCL helped me develop the skills necessary to succeed,” Escher said. “I don’t know if I’ll always be a lawyer, but I know that the analytical thinking, logical reasoning, writing, and public speaking that I worked on here will benefit me no matter what I do.”
hilary rosenthal
Following commencement, Hilary Rosenthal will be clerking for Judge Lisa Hall Johnson at the District Court of Maryland, District 5, Prince George’s County. There, she anticipates helping prepare the judge for trial, writing and researching briefs, and drafting opinions.
During her time at AUWCL, Rosenthal participated the European Law and International Business Law Summer Program. As a 1L, she wrote on to the American University Business Law Review, and during her 3L year, she served as the journal’s Editor-in-Chief.
“During my time at WCL I have been both challenged and supported by my professors and classmates,” Rosenthal said. “Through serving as Editor-in-Chief of BLR, I have developed management skills in addition to honing my editing and writing skills which will be key to my success as a lawyer.”
Kristopher Vicencio
Kristopher Vicencio will begin his clerkship at Maryland’s Howard County Circuit Court for Judge Richard S. Bernhardt, where he will be writing bench memos, drafting en banc opinions, and providing trial support for a wide range of legal issues. Additionally, Vicencio has been selected for the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps, and will enter active duty after his clerkship ends in August 2019.
Vicencio was the executive director of recruitment for the Mock Trial Honor Society and symposium editor for the Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law during his time at AUWCL. He also held positions as section 4 senator and solicitor general for the Student Bar Association, and worked as an admissions office tour guide.
Vicencio, a husband and a father of two young boys, said he would not have “been able to do this without the motivation, love, and support” of his family. “My time at WCL has been everything I wanted for my law school experience. The curriculum, faculty, staff, and my classmates both challenged me and supported me, and became such a wonderful community that I am glad and grateful to be a part of,”he said.
###