Anna Bninski ‘23
I am so happy to welcome our esteemed Features Editor, Anna Bninski ’23! Anna, would you please introduce yourself to our vast readership?
Sure! So, I am originally a Navy brat, but I grew up here in Charlottesville after my father was stationed at the Navy ROTC at UVA. Then, I went to UVA for undergrad. After graduating, I spent about seven years bouncing around volunteer opportunities, academic pursuits, and various jobs, mostly for non-profits. Then, instead of continuing to work in communications, I decided that I would rather get into a track with the possibility for more concrete accomplishments. So, that’s what brought me to law school.
What area of the law are you most interested in?
Litigation, with a focus on employment law.
And what sparked your interest in that field?
So, I’m pretty nosy, which means I’m interested in an area of law that has scope for some investigation-type projects. And wild stuff happens at work. That makes it an interesting area of law—and it’s also one that pretty much everyone’s life will intersect with at some point because most folks will have a job. But there are a lot of misconceptions about what are and are not legal practices. I think people often think that activities that are merely unfair are illegal. But then they don’t recognize that some things employers are doing that seem normal are actually illegal. So, it’s an area that I find very interesting that has both human and legal aspects. And I’ve been informed that I have “litigator energy,” which seems pretty accurate. I’d say I’m one of the many litigation-focused types who have only a very foggy grasp of what M&A lawyers actually do.
Besides writing and working as an editor for the Virginia Law Weekly, what other activities are you involved with on Grounds?
I was the Philanthropy Chair and am now Co-Vice President of the Domestic Violence Project. While we are not the most visible club, we have been able to do some really great volunteering and fundraising work. That has been very rewarding. For example, I was particularly happy when we raised over $700 for the Shelter for Help in Emergency. And I also work at the circulation desk at the Law Library, so come check out an iPhone charger from me. Or a book, if you’re feeling really wild.
Wonderful! So, I know you came to the Law School in the COVID year…
Oh, yeah.
What are the noticeable changes you’ve seen in the Law School?
Well, I was a complete hermit my first year because one of my roommates at the time was an essential worker. I couldn’t in good conscience justify bringing bonus germs into the house. So, if I had the option of doing school on Zoom, then that was what I needed to do. After being a hard-core hermit, things were relaxing a bit during 2L. And with that came many delightful classmates! For 3L, the ability to just hang out at school and not have to deal with the same stressful environment of early COVID has been really lovely.
And how would you say that impacted the friendships you’ve built during law school?
I would say that I made one or two good friends during 1L, and it has been a pleasant expansion of that number ever since.
Building off of that unique experience, what advice do you have for 1Ls and 2Ls?
This isn’t really for 1Ls or 2Ls specifically. While this is probably advice that you hear a lot, it’s important to think about what matters to you and not necessarily what everyone else or the institutions of the school are telling you are the best things. I feel this with myself—it is very easy to want things because everyone tells you that that is what you should want. And then you pursue those goals because they feel like the right ones. This is not to say that all widely accepted goals are bad goals and that no one should do them! But I just think that it’s important to take a minute and imagine what you want to get out of life and prioritize from there. And this reflects both career goals and academic goals. You don’t actually have to kill yourself over every class. You can be strategic about how you spend your time.
Before you leave law school, is there anything you would like to accomplish?
Well, I’m doing the Workplace Rights clinic at the LAJC right now, which is something new for me. I’m really looking forward to seeing my academic work be useful to people who are serving folks in the real world.
Great work following CREAC and tying this back into employment law. Do you have any last words that you would like to leave our audience with?
My husband and I have a mid-size dachshund named Otto. He is very long and very low to the ground and so is a constant tripping hazard.
Lightning Round!
How many siblings do you have?
I’m the youngest of four!
How do you take your coffee?
Cream, no sugar.
Favorite kind of library patron?
People who have a book on hold and are excited it’s finally arrived.
What’s your horoscope?
Scorpio. I’m great at holding grudges.
Favorite restaurant around town?
That’s a hard one…it was Anna’s Pizza No. 5 before it closed. RIP.
What are you doing for your Bar Trip?
I don’t know if I’m even doing one yet, that’s so far in the future…
What’s your phone screensaver?
It’s a picture form my wedding. Me and my husband and a lot of bushes.
Do you recommend getting married din law School?
Yes to eloping in law school, but I don’t think I can recommend a whole big ceremony. Just organizing brunch for 20 people was enough!
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Interviewed by Garrett Coleman '25
jxu6ad@virginia.edu