The Law Weekly Triumvirate
Washington, D.C.
First of all, welcome back to school, readers. I hope everyone had a great summer. By that, I mean I hope the new 1Ls did nothing, the 2Ls had fun at their first-ever[1] legal jobs, and the 3Ls were able to have fun amidst the work. Other than the summer before and after my 1L year, members of our esteemed institution were scattered all across the nation, and this year was no different. Each of us had our own experiences that are worth their own articles. But guess what, none of you are on this newspaper,[2] so you get to read this instead.
I spent my summer in the best city imaginable: Washington, D.C.[3] Although a literal swamp that had my face melting at all hours of the day, the city is ideal for people in the law. Every working professional has their career connected to the law, either passing it or circumventing—I mean practicing—it. The tourism is obvious; each monument and museum is worth hours or even a full day of your time. There’s just something for everyone. Every single person I met there was able to stay out until 2 a.m. for work events and rally for their 6 a.m. workout class. I could talk about the work I did or the inequality and problems in the city, but this is the first issue of the year. I have plenty of time to make dark jokes about depressing realities.
For now, all I can say is that I hope there are enough of you 1Ls and 2Ls that consider going to D.C. to experience the nonstop insanity that is a city built for heavy partying, working, and worrying. I can’t wait to go back and experience it all as a real adult.
Pictured: The view from the Washington, DC office of Kirkland & Ellis, LLP
San Francisco
“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Despite this not being a quote from Mark Twain, as many believe, it is nonetheless accurate. While there were many gorgeous, 75-degree days spent looking out across the bay at Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Napa to the north, many were closer to 55 and cloudy. In fact, I’ve never seen a worse Fourth of July celebration. The fireworks’ trajectory took them directly into a cloud bank. So, occasionally you’d see the streak of light, hear the whizz, and then see a dull Shrek-green flash of light in the clouds if you were lucky. Otherwise, you just had to trust that somewhere deep in the fog, fireworks were happening, and they were beautiful.
But, when the city was sunny, it was beautiful. And the cool weather helped immensely with the hills. The city’s various inclines were another beast altogether, one that I lived on top of. I have a fond memory of talking to my mom on the phone and telling her not to worry, Trader Joe’s was “only a mile away” and “it was completely downhill from my place.” Conveniently, I left out the fact that I’d be carrying groceries uphill for a mile on the way home.
All in all, I loved San Francisco. I don’t like cities, but it’s unlike any other, and that’s what I really liked about it. I’m excited to return in 2023!
Pictured: The view of beautiful downtown Houston
Houston
I am from South Florida. When people mention heat and humidity, I metaphorically don’t break a sweat. Literally, I am probably already very sweaty. I thought I was ready for Texas summer, and I was wrong. It really is unbearable.
The upside is, Houston’s infrastructure is built around the hellish stretch of time from May to September when the UV index is 11 and the air itself hurts your skin until well after sundown. Much like other desert creatures, Houstonians working downtown have a network of air-conditioned tunnels into which to retreat. The tunnels connect all the buildings downtown and are full of restaurants and every kind of store a working professional might need access to, from dry cleaning to an optometrist.
If you are interested even remotely in energy work, Houston is the place to be. You have the chance to work with leading experts in both renewables and traditional sources, in a city with some of the craziest infrastructure and zoning in the country. The pace of life and work-life balance is different from the more traditional corporate cities, like New York. The people you work with will be some of the most genuine, easy-going Big Law attorneys you’ll ever meet. You’ll have the opportunity to work on pro bono projects that affect lives directly in your community, from abortion access to voting rights. There’s no income tax, and owning a home is a real possibility. You just need to pack your sunscreen.
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omk6cg@virginia.edu
jtp4bw@virginia.edu
dl9uh@virginia.edu
[1] Yes, I know some of you were paralegals. Good for you. Most of us are KJD children. Your friends still have some degree of youth and energy.
[2] This is something you can change! Come to our meetings on Mondays; we have free pizza and good people.
[3] I don’t care how often my friends Cara Capoccitti and Paige Kennett (both of ’23) try to say otherwise, NYC is too much for me.