Leah Deskins ‘21
Professor Liaison Editor
Earlier this week, the Law School announced the creation of its new Duel Degree Program. The program, open by application to incoming students, 1Ls, and current 2Ls, allows students to supplement their legal studies with an education in “self-help” for when the legal system inevitably fails them, their clients, and ultimately society as a whole. Students may concentrate their dueling studies on one of two weapons: sabre or pistol.
“In a very progressive move for the era, the 1971 Virginia Constitution, written in part by our very own A.E. Dick Howard, removed Virginia’s constitutional ban on dueling. At first, no one thought anything of it, but in recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in the need for our graduates to be competent not only in traditional core skills of legal practice such as oral advocacy and legal research and writing, but also vigilante justice and honor defense. “With generous financial support from Edward and Barbara Marsh (’74 and ’76, respectively), we were able to establish the Duel Degree Program to meet this critical need,” said the Law School administration in its press release about the program.
Photo Courtesy of megasportsnews.com
The Office of Private Practice and the Public Service Center both applauded the Duel Degree Program and touted its ability to help UVA Law students succeed as lawyers after graduation.In a recent statement from both offices, career counselors reiterated that “[y]ou never know when you’ll need to defend your honor as a lawyer. Perhaps you’ll have an otherwise-unresolvable discovery dispute in the middle of high-stakes commercial litigation. Maybe a prosecutor will insult your ability as a low-paid public defender to effectively advocate for your client. Maybe you’ll need a special tiebreaker ‘round’ after an intense, inter-firm summer softball game. Your dueling education may prove crucial to the advancement of your legal career.”
Many students have expressed excitement about the launch of the Duel Degree Program. Phil Tonseth ’22 remarked that he can’t wait to augment his legal education with such highly practical skills. He added, “I’m really glad UVA Law is putting together this fantastic program. I was also particularly happy to find out that participation in the Duel Degree Program will provide the six professional skills credits necessary for completion of the Law School’s J.D. degree requirements.” Stan Birch ’22 pointed out another benefit of the program: “For those students who decide that they actually prefer pass/fail classes to the curve, the Duel Degree Program is a great way to avoid actually getting grades for the remainder of your law school career. Its finals are necessarily pass/fail.” And Kolleen Gladden ’21 noted that the program has the potential to make a real impact in the law’s quest for justice: “I grew up near the Ozark Mountains in Joplin, Missouri, so I have a lot of experience with things, well, not going according to plan. Did you know that Bonnie and Clyde killed two police officers in Joplin in 1933? I’m planning on going back home for my legal career after graduation, and I know my participation in the Duel Degree Program will serve me well.”
But the program’s launch is not without controversy. Michael Berdan ’22 discussed both pros and cons in his review: “The Duel Degree Program will be absolutely vital to my legal studies at the Law School. Just imagine if Alexander Hamilton had received such an incredible education in dueling. He would’ve known not to throw away his shot in his infamous duel against Aaron Burr. But, I can’t help but worry that elitism will play a role in how potential employers view students’ decisions to enroll in the program. Will I be looked down upon if I choose the pistol rather than the sabre concentration?” Sam Pickett ’21 echoed Michael’s worries, “Are students from wealthy families more likely to be able to succeed in the program than students from middle-class and blue-collar backgrounds? They had fencing lessons starting in middle school, and they’ve been hunting on their families’ vast land holdings clad in Barbour coats and riding boots since they could first pull a trigger.”
Doug Graebner ’21 explained that the Law School administration has a role to play here: “We’d like the administration to ensure that applicants accepted to the program display just as much diversity as the Law School as a whole. Frankly, that’s a pretty low bar. But nonetheless, we haven’t heard anything from them on this issue yet, and we need an answer.” Hopefully, these potential issues will be resolved as part of the program’s implementation. In the meantime, Common Law Grounds has scheduled a lunch discussion on the topic of classism in dueling for next week.
The Duel Degree Program’s application system is up and running, and it will be accepting applications until May 1. The Rod and Gun Club has offered to provide interested students with an advisor to assist them as they complete the application and will be hosting panels about dueling in the coming weeks.
Happy April Fools’ Day!
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lcd4ew@virginia.edu