Nate Wunderli '22
So, Nate, my wunderful 3L friend, where are you from?
Starting off strong with a hard one. I was in Potomac, Maryland until I was eight. I was in New York until I was fifteen. Then I moved to Utah, where I stayed for undergrad. I also lived in South Korea for a time and am proficient in Korean as a result.
So where did you go for undergrad, and are all the rumors about Utah schools universal?
I went to the University of Utah. Utah is only like 20 percent LDS and definitely not dry, especially in the athletic department.
Speaking of athletics, what did you play in college that led you to being such a sports guy now?
Golf, all four years. I was also a tour guide, and I majored in economics. But mostly, I played golf. I want to make sure people know I mostly traveled and played golf.
Why did you decide on law school despite your interest in economics and all the golf you played in college?
I did some ski-instructing, but I thought if I was going to have a family one day, I needed to make a better financial decision for my future—so law school was it. I also started a dance club at an old Urban Outfitters before law school, and we were profitable—but not quite enough to make it my career. I did it for a few months and gave it to someone else.
Do you know what you are doing after law school, other than attempting to relive your glory days for years to come?
Capital markets at Cadwalader in Washington, D.C.. D.C. and California were my two choices, but for some reason, the California firms didn’t believe I wanted to do anything other than surf—so D.C. it was.
What do you do for fun—is it still golf, and if so, where do you play the game?
I hardly golf anymore. While I enjoy golf still, it was a bit more fun when the University was paying for it. I love to Latin dance, mountain bike, rock climb, play basketball, ski and surf, obviously.
Speaking of sports, you won an incredibly rigged tournament at the Law School recently, right?
I told Alex Castle a week before the softball tournament with absolute confidence that we would win, and we did. Shoutout to Trey Ratliff ‘24 for hitting the game-winner. Getting to captain a lot of teams has been the highlight of my law school experience.
I’m assuming your whole life, other than a certain former EIC, doesn’t revolve around playing beer-league softball. So what other sports have you participated in here at the law school?
I’ve captained several intramural teams in flag football and basketball. I also won the intramural one on one basketball tournament, facing the entire undergrad.
That’s actually impressive. On another note, as hard as it is to admit, I have been inspired by your approach to facing law school as a 3L. What’s your best advice for incoming UVA Law students?
The Law School is busy, but you can also pick up a lot of extracurricular skills while here. Three of my favorite things—Latin dancing, mountain biking, and rock climbing—I learned while in law school. Also, utilize the undergrad, they have a lot of cool clubs and cheap things to do, which a lot of people don't take advantage of.
When you show up to the meetings (i.e. whenever there is free pizza), you have contributed some great stuff. What have you enjoyed most writing about on the Law Weekly?
I liked covering the sports, especially when my section would do really well in softball and I would have reason to trash talk the other sections in the 3L class.
Lightning Round:
So obligatory first one, what’s your pet peeve?
Any time there’s a lack of free food in the Law School.
Family?
I have six siblings, five sisters and a brother. Three of my siblings we adopted from Haiti a few years after the major earthquake there.
Favorite Charlottesville spot?
My favorite club is South & Central on Thursday nights because that’s when they do Latin dance.
Favorite professor (assuming you went to class even once)?
Dean Kendrick for Torts, because she's very logical in how she teaches. She lays it all out there very clearly and isn't out to trick you, which is why everyone seemed to know the material by the end.
Favorite food?
Indian food. I’ve liked Indian food since I was a kid. My family used to go to this nice place every Sunday in New York when I was younger. We were such loyal customers, they gave us free mango ice cream each time.
I thought that would be pandering but it actually turned out really sweet. So with all of your athleticism, what’s your ideal sports weather?
I’m getting a little older so I prefer it to be warmer. I can’t just play in the rain or snow anymore without a good warmup. Unless we’re talking Thanksgiving football, then I want a foot of snow on the ground. Tackle of course.
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Interviewed by Sai Kulkarni ‘23
nw7cz@virginia.edu