Isaac Buckley '23
Interviewed by Jonathan Peterson ‘23.
Tell me a little about yourself: Where are you from, undergrad, work experience? Just the typical I’m-just-meeting-you-ice-breaker style speech.
I grew up in Richmond and came to UVA for undergrad. After that, I did Teach for America for two years at a middle school in the Mississippi Delta, where I taught eighth grade English. I then spent two years working for a firm in Richmond figuring out whether I was actually interested in the law. I spent my last year before law school traveling and working on small-scale organic farms.
What was the Mississippi Delta like?
It’s a fascinating part of the country. I loved teaching the age group I did because those are such formative years. We got to talk about books, and I got to coach football and track, and just had a really good experience. One of my former students just got a scholarship to run track at Mississippi State University. He’s a brilliant student and a great athlete, and I’m really proud of him.
How did you decide on law school?
I ended up deciding on law school because of my experience teaching in the Delta. I really loved being in the classroom and interacting with the students, but eventually it became clear to me that a lot of the biggest issues my students faced, like food insecurity, the undue influence of the prison system in the area, and school funding formulas derived from local property taxes, were all issues I couldn’t address from the classroom. It was frustration at that feeling of powerlessness that really started me thinking about law school.
Is addressing these issues part of the impact you hope to make as a lawyer?
Yeah, that’s my hope. I’m interested in working as a public defender after school.
If public defense is what really stuck out to you, was the prison system in particular one of the more impactful issues for your students?
Yeah, the effect of the prison system on my students and their families was something you could see every day. The Delta is one of the most over-incarcerated areas in the country. The town I was in was right next to Parchman State Penitentiary, and it was this constant threat in their daily lives at thirteen-years-old. The message my students got from their community every day was that success in school was a way to stay out of prison. That’s true, but it shouldn’t be the only way.
I’ve heard through the grapevine you do carpentry or woodworking? What should I call it?
I don’t know, I make furniture sometimes.
How did you get into making furniture?
I first got interested in it when I was here for undergrad. I was doing English and Foreign Affairs, so, similar to law school, I was doing a lot of reading and writing. Which I love. But, it’s all sort of between-the-ears-work, if you know what I mean. Carpentry’s a physical process that creates this tangible result that’s really satisfying in a different way than creating a piece of writing. It just helps me get out of my head a bit.
Do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on?
A couple of years back I made a coffee table out of this huge old door. I took two panels out of the ends of the door and planted moss beds in them. It ended up being really cool with the moss beds built in on either end, and it still functioned as an actual table.
What was the worst thing you’ve made? Any significant failures?
There was this one table that I tried to make, and the soft pine I was working with warped pretty horrifically. If you put an apple on the table it would just roll onto the floor.
You mentioned small-scale organic farms, would you share more about those?
I lived on a series of small-scale farms in Portugal, Spain, France, and Ireland. I knew I was coming to Law School at this point, and as a result, I figured there was a high likelihood that I’d be sitting behind a desk for long periods of time for the foreseeable future. I’ve always been curious about food: where it comes from, how it’s grown, who grows it, the science and economics of it, and just a general interest. The communes were, for me, a way to travel, to learn, to meet people, and to have a high degree of freedom before beginning law school.
Any interesting facts about food production you’d share?
The coolest thing I got to participate in, hands-down, was lambing.
What’s lambing?
So, lambing is just helping sheep give birth. It’s a real messy process. They come out feet first. But it was one of the coolest things I got to do on a farm.
Let’s do a lighting round! Pet peeve?
Trying to convey non-verbal cues and then realizing that you’re wearing a mask, so it just looks like you’re staring at whoever you’re trying to communicate with. I was going to say personal questions but that feels rude, given the context.
Favorite word?
I really like the word “mosey.” It has this implication of unhurriedness and openness to experience that fits with how I want to move through the world.
Least favorite sound?
It’s this low churning sound that my car started making a month and a half ago which I really need to get checked out. Although I almost certainly won’t.
Spirit animal?
Octopus.
What would win in a fight, a grizzly bear or a silverback gorilla, and why?
I have to give it to the silverback. I think its low center of gravity would give it the edge.
That’s a controversial statement. How do you square away the size difference between the two?
It’s not the size of the gorilla in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the gorilla.
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ikb8fb@virginia.edu