Brigid Harrington '25
Tell me about yourself! Where are you from, what’s your undergrad, and what brought you to law school?
I’m from Barnegat, New Jersey, and I went to Notre Dame, which was a lot of fun. I was a double major in political science and theater, with a minor in public service. And I have been a professional actor for my whole life. I was in Mary Poppins when it was on Broadway, before it closed. I also recorded the original voice of Koko on the Disney Channel TV show Chuggington, which is an animated show about trains. I also did a lot of work in regional theater in Philadelphia. I had to stop that when I went to Notre Dame, where I explored my interest for political science and public service and decided that that was the path that I wanted to take. But I am not necessarily giving up the things that I learned as an actor. The legal profession very much relies on good communications skills and good persuasion skills. Those are all things that I learned to do as an actor, so I'm just applying those skills to this path now.
Have you found your acting experience helpful in law school? I feel like it would be helpful with cold calls.
I was just going to say that, yeah. As an actor, you’re expected to be able to address large groups of people. Sometimes, I’d be singing in front of audiences of 2,000 people, so I’m not self-conscious about speaking in front of people. That’s made cold calls less frightening. I think memorization has helped, too. If my agent says, “You have an audition tomorrow; here’s the copy, here’s the script,” I sometimes have less than a day to memorize a script. That’s a really quick turnover, so memorization is always a plus.
Do you think you’ll do Libel?
I am thinking about it. If they would have me.
Awesome, hopefully they will! You mentioned that you minored in public service. Did you have time off in between undergrad and law school?
I’m coming straight through, but I did three internships on the Hill on the House side, which was lots of fun. So, I got some professional experience in the real world outside of acting.
Any valuable insights from the work on the Hill?
Well, I was interning on the Hill before COVID, during COVID, and after COVID. So, it was just fascinating to see how the government responded to the Coronavirus pandemic. And, you know, what a time to be on the Hill!
That’s pretty crazy. What’s your overall impression of UVA so far?
Everybody says UVA is collegial; that’s something that the Admissions team really hammers home. I would say that it’s absolutely true to my experience so far. The students are eager to make friends—eager to lend a hand—and that’s something that I can attest to, for sure. But also, Charlottesville is beautiful. I feel fortunate to be in this area. It just started getting chilly, so I’m excited for fall weather here. UVA is just a rigorous community that’s also filled with good people, which is hard to find.
You mentioned that you don’t have any Friday classes—I’m jealous. Do you spend that time studying more, or are you doing fun things with your section?
My section always does something Thursday night and Friday night. I want to give a shout out to Sarah Combs ’25 and Madeline Hall ’25, who organized our first Harry Potter watch party, where we had real butterbeer. That was lots of fun. I recommend the other sections try out a watch party.
Love the shoutout. So, we are both Android users, which is possibly controversial. Do you have any other hot takes?
Hmm . . . I think Coke is better than Pepsi. I don't know if that’s really a hot take, though.
I feel like that’s a very lukewarm take.
Alright, well that’s my hottest take!
Haha, I love that. Do you have a favorite spot you’ve visited in Charlottesville that you’d recommend to people?
I would definitely recommend Carter Mountain. The scenery is beautiful, and there are such cute fall shops that everybody should check out. Apparently, there’s live music as well. Besides Carter Mountain, the Trader Joe’s is quite nice.
Always good advice. Is there anything in or out of class that you’re excited to do while you’re here?
I’m really looking forward to J-term. From what I’ve heard, that’s an exciting time to pursue your interests in a lower-stakes way, so I’m really looking forward to that. I’m also looking forward to pro bono hours. I think that it’s really encouraging that so many people in our class have been eager to try to get those hours in. I think it’s a good service to the community, and I’m excited to be a part of it as well.
Okay, lightning round!
Your favorite 1L class so far?
Crim with Jeffries, without a doubt. Legendary, what a great legal thinker. It’s an honor to get to learn from him.
Favorites snack in Student Affairs?
Welch’s fruit snacks. That’s my go-to. I wish they had Oreos. Or like Chips Ahoy or something.
That would be good. Maybe they’ll read this, and they can get on it. Any spirit week outfits that you’re proud of?
I loved undergrad spirit day because Notre Dame people take Notre Dame very seriously. I actually unintentionally participated in it last week. I didn’t know that it was undergrad spirit day, but I just happened to be wearing a Notre Dame shirt. So, it kind of worked out.
That’s so funny! To avoid controversy among our pro-cat and pro-dog readers, do you have a favorite pet besides a cat or dog?
Oh, hermit crabs. I had a lot of hermit crabs growing up on the Jersey Shore, so we would get hermit crabs for pretty cheap at beach gift shops. They always seemed to get out of the cage, so sometimes my sister and I would just find a hermit crab on the floor.
What’s the best season, and why?
Fall, obviously. I love the fall. I just bought three fall-scented candles. Pro tip: There are three-dollar fall candles at Walmart that are so high quality. You would think they’re Yankee Candle. I recommend Bourbon Pecan Pie.
That sounds so good, I’ll be getting five of them. Last one: Are aliens real?
I’m sure something’s out there . . . I don’t quite know what—maybe they don't look green and have antennas—but I’m sure that something’s out there, somewhere.
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Interviewed by Andrew Allard ‘25
djh9gj@virginia.edu