Eli Jones ‘21
Interviewed by Christina Luk ‘21
Where are you from?
I am from Erie, Pennsylvania, northwest two hours from Pittsburgh.
When did you start thinking about law school?
Freshman year of undergrad. I was originally an education major, and I wanted to be a high school teacher. But I went to an informational meeting about law and decided to do this instead. I’m fortunate that my undergrad offered a lot of career counseling, and it really benefited me.
Sounds like a great place! Where did you go for undergrad?
Duquesne University, in Uptown Pittsburgh.
So what did you do between college and law school?
Well, I graduated one semester early, and for six months, I was a counselor and teacher for students with criminal convictions. I worked with a boarding school that was basically a step below juvenile prison for ninth to twelfth graders. I taught English.
What was it like coming to UVA after that experience?
I think it was important to have an experience like that, particularly before coming to a place like UVA, which is very elite and overflowing with privilege. It helped me understand that law is real and that behind every decision is a real human life. In class, we talk about things in the abstract, but behind every case is a human person.
So, my experience was really important to me, and it reframed for me how people talk about crimes. There are people who make mistakes, including children, and we apply these labels to them that can stick for life. My experience also helped me learn how to handle stress, and not get overwhelmed.
Did that experience have an impact on what you hope to do as a lawyer?
I’ve always wanted to do some public service job in the long term. I do think, for sure, seeing how society interacts with people in the criminal law system once they’ve been convicted convinced me we ought to change how we treat people once they’re incarcerated. Working with those high schoolers made me wanna do right by people and, long term, gave me a lot to think about.
I heard that you’re still doing some teaching. Tell us a little bit about that.
Yeah, I got an opportunity at my alma mater to teach about race and law. I came across it on a whim actually. Derrick Bell was a well-known race scholar and alum at my undergrad. I was talking with the Director of the Honors College where I graduated about him, and I said we should commemorate him. And she said, oh, we should do a course, would you like to teach it? I was a bit surprised, but given that everything is virtual now and I’m physically back in Pittsburgh, I was able to make it work. It’s a weird experience, but definitely interesting. We just had our first week of classes.
Do you want to continue teaching in the future?
I would like to. My dad is a teacher, and my mom also teaches. She runs a martial arts school. Plus, both my parents teach at church. I’ve always seen value in it, and I really like the experience and I love interacting with students. So yes, definitely.
You’ve mentioned that you’re an English major with a creative writing background—do you still write?
You know it’s funny, I’ve tried, but law school really saps the creative juices out of you. I find I can sketch the plot points, but finding the creative language is difficult after three years of stuffing my head with Supreme Court cases.
What inspired you to be a UJC Representative and what’s been different about it this year?
Being in SBA, I was like, oh cool, I get to be involved in student government, which is a lot more robust than it is at my undergrad. I enjoy engaging with the wider community and with the whole university. What’s different? The adjudicative process. Seeing how other students from other schools at the university approach quasi-legal issues in different ways has been eye-opening. I think, especially in terms of crafting a sanction, everything is more open-ended than you would expect as a law student. I get locked into thinking if this is a statute, this would be the sanction, but the way other people can craft and personalize sanctions actually makes for a really cool alternative.
Let’s do a lightning round!
Favorite place in Charlottesville?
Blue Whale Books on the Downtown Mall. It’s by the Violet Crown Theatre. It’s got the biggest used books collection, and a big collector edition section, and a biography section I always get lost in.
What’s a biography you’d recommend to readers?
Devil in the Grove, by Gilbert King. It’s about Thurgood Marshall and NAACP’s defense of the Groveland Boys.
Anti-Stress Hobby?
Watching a good TV show. Recently, I watched Neon Genesis Evangelion and True Detective. Really cool.
Pet peeve?
Passive aggression. Snide comments.
Favorite word?
Community.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Pittsburgh, where I live right now. I’ll be working here after graduation.
What’s one movie that left an impression on you?
No Country for Old Men by the Coen Brothers
If you won the lottery, what would you do with it?
Pay off my loans.
If you could pick one song to play in the background of your life, what would it be?
“Keep the Devil Off,” by Big K.R.I.T.
Where’s a place you’ve never been, but would like to go?
I’ve never been to California. I’ve always wanted to see L.A. Coming to Virginia, I’ve learned to appreciate wine, so wine country would be good. Even to see the Pacific Ocean would be cool.
If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow, what would it be?
Treat other people like you want to be treated.
What do you do for fun?
I hang out with the family. My wife, we have four pets, and they’ve been my main support. They keep me on track in life.
Well, now you have to introduce your pets.
We got one pet for each year of law school: Jefferson, he’s a Jack Russell-Beagle mix. He’s a very distinguished little guy. We got King next, an American Bulldog. Then, the year after, Misato and Zhu Li, two cats. We got them all from the local shelter. Support the ASPCA!
Anyone you want to give a shout out to?
To the folks at BLSA, at the SBA, and all the other classmates I’m happy to call friends.
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ejj9yj@virginia.edu