Darius Adel '24
Staff Editor
“I’ve always said I’m here for a good time, not a long time. So it’s nice to be able to celebrate these milestones.” - Dennis Ting ’24
It’s hard to believe that many of us 2Ls are halfway done with our J.D. To memorialize this milestone, the Law School put on a midway toast for the Class of 2024. Even after the event, it still hasn’t set in that we have just halfway to go. In a lot of ways, things have moved faster than I had ever expected. Part of me dreaded putting my life on hold for three years to get this degree, but looking back at the last year and a half, there has been more growth than anything.
“It seems at the same time too short and too long.” - Tristan Deering ’24
This toast was meant to celebrate both our individual achievements and the progress of my class as a whole. In honor of the achievements we went through, I decided to interview some of my classmates and get their insights on the toast and how they feel about all the progress we have made. Some students didn’t know what to expect, while others were just glad to have an excuse to get out of the library to eat and drink with friends. Most everyone felt at least somewhat positive about the toast and what it meant to be halfway done with their J.D.
“Really excited about the personal party pack.” - Nik Pham ’24
While I don’t want to make this into a full-blown review of the event itself, I will say that everything was pleasant. The individual party packs of charcuterie fare were a nice touch, since no one had to awkwardly wait in a line. The Dean’s speech wasn’t too long and got the point of the event across. While it was a bit jarring to go from class to the event and then straight back to reading case law, the effort put into the toast was much appreciated.
“What if I don’t want to be a lawyer? [Jokingly]” - Rowan Adams ’24
Most everyone I spoke to had a great time talking and reconnecting, but for the most part, the sentiments were bittersweet. Many of my fellow 2Ls spoke to me about how, despite the school’s efforts, they actually felt a bit disconnected from UVA Law compared to our 1L year. While I agree that many of us don’t go out as much since the sections have been dissolved, that does not necessarily mean that there is a lack of connection. As Dean Golubuff alluded to in her speech, 2L year is a transitory period where we students get to explore and find experiences that interest us. We get to pick out our own classes and build our own schedule. While our connection to our sections or UVA Law as whole may weaken, our bonds to the ones we choose to spend our time and energy with can grow deeper.
“I literally just arrived forty-five seconds ago.” - Grace Zipperer ’24
While I saw quite a few sad faces reflecting on the fact that we only have a year and half left, I heard a lot more students busily making plans with friends they hadn’t seen in quite some time. When we started law school, much of our time was scheduled out for us. Our classes were set. There were specific section and school-wide events that we were expected to go to. Even time spent studying at the library before and after class was more or less a given. Freedom to choose is a beautiful thing for those of us that don’t want to make UVA Law our sole identity. What I heard from my classmates is that the downside of that freedom is that many of us then gravitate towards staying in our comfort zones and keeping a small circle. Now, if you want to see your friends, you have to consciously make time on your calendar. Gone are the days where you would see the same set of classmates taking the same exact classes as you five days a week.
“I like free food.” - Alexander Chen ’24
I enjoyed my time at the Midway Toast, and I think most everyone else did, too. It gave us an excuse to come together, reminisce, and look to the future. Someday soon, many of the close friends will just be memories, so it’s more important than ever to make this coming year and a half special. I don’t know if being halfway done with law school is really something to celebrate, but just seeing the people I love all together in one place made it worth it to me.
“I’m invigorated for the second half.” - Landon Garfinkel ’24
“I wish this was on Friday.” - Fernando Mercado ’24
Nikolai Morse '24
Managing Editor
I am a deeply sentimental person. I love traditions and rituals, which make me feel a sense of connection from our present selves to generations past. I get teary-eyed whenever I watch a Disney movie.[1] I am genuinely enthralled and gripped by all manner of motivational speeches, commencement addresses, and Charges to the Class.[2] I am overjoyed at ceremonies which bestow recognition on people’s achievements—even when I have no idea what they mean! For example, while I just recently found out there is apparently an honor society at UVA called “The Raven Society,” my lack of comprehension in no way dimmed my happiness at recognizing the names of our classmates on the list of their new members. I firmly believe we should celebrate our progress, remember our setbacks, and make sure to take time to reflect on how far we have come and where we want to go from here.
Last week, UVA Law’s tradition of marking our halfway point provided all of us in the Class of 2024 a moment to pause and reflect during our otherwise-busy schedules. For some, it may have been the first time they saw many of their sectionmates since 1L year. Seeing the familiar faces of those with whom we endured our first cold calls, Bar Reviews, and law school finals makes it difficult not to think of where we started, and where we are now. So, having prefaced my own sentimentality and at the risk of committing the cardinal sin of boring the audience, I’d like to briefly share some of my thoughts upon reaching the halfway mark.
First, I am weekly—if not daily—reminded of how fortunate I am to be at this Law School. Having worked for nearly six years before coming to UVA, I was lucky enough to work with some incredible individuals. But never have I seen an environment that is so filled with people who are as interesting, thoughtful, motivated, engaged, and kind as my classmates and the faculty and staff of UVA Law. Their kindness reminds me how easily we can positively affect someone else. Their intelligence humbles me and helps grow my own understanding. And their hard work drives me to push myself and always improve.
Second, our community is remarkably (brace yourselves) collegial. While of course this word is overused to the point of being a cliché, at moments like this it is worth remembering that clichés only become clichés because they are true: because they express something that is both so plainly obvious and at the same time remarkable, that it bears repeating, over and over. While there have been sharp disagreements and divergent views on important issues during our time here, we should be proud of both the way in which we express our disagreement and our willingness to speak up when we feel it is important to do so. As our nation has become more divided and polarized, and our civil discourse less respectful, we should appreciate that here, people from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and political standpoints get along so well. And we must do everything we can to protect and continue this culture.
Third, the amount and kinds of opportunities we are presented here is absolutely staggering. Whether it be the fact that professors who are genuinely famous teach courses to 1Ls, or the amount of clinics and dizzying array of courses we can choose from, we are all truly privileged to be here. In my experience, when you begin working, you have hardly any time to explore entirely new subjects, let alone to delve into them. And so with our remaining time left, we should be thoughtful about how we spend it. As Dean Goluboff said, we ought to think of everything we would still like to do, and challenge ourselves to branch out into unfamiliar territory. We owe it to ourselves and our communities to become the best, most complete, and diverse versions of ourselves that we can be.
As I thought about the Class of 2024’s remaining time at UVA Law, I was reminded of a quote: “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”[3] The trouble with being in an incredible place like UVA Law, surrounded by such incredible people, is that it can’t last forever. But until our time here ends, we owe it to ourselves, and to each other, to make the most of every day that remains.
[1] Top ten Disney tearjerkers, in order: (1) Coco, (2) Up, (3) The Lion King, (4) Toy Story 3, (5) Lilo & Stitch, (6) Moana, (7) Big Hero 6, (8) Encanto, (9) Wall-E, and (10) Bambi.
[2] If you have not yet watched Professor Nelson’s and Dean Jeffries’s Charge to the Class on YouTube, I highly recommend them. Also, for those of you who had the fortune of taking Torts with Professor Barbara Armacost, I am sure you’ll agree that her midterm and end-of-term speeches were truly inspirational, and full of advice that I have thought of frequently since our first semester.
[3] Yes, I heard this at a high school graduation speech, where the speaker attributed the quote to Abraham Lincoln. No, I have not confirmed that this actually came from Lincoln and not Dr. Seuss’s third cousin. Yes, I know how groan-worthy a corny, possibly wrongly-attributed quote is. I told you I was sentimental!