Hi, Isabel! Thanks for joining me for this week’s Hot Bench. To get started, I recently saw your name on a school-wide email blast with the prestigious title of Head Field Monitor. Can you tell me more about that?
I don’t know about prestigious, but I am pretty excited to be helping out with this year’s UVA Law Softball Tournament! We’re welcoming dozens of other law schools to Grounds for a really fun weekend (and raising money for a good cause), so I really encourage everyone to get involved by volunteering as a Field Monitor.
Great, let’s get back to basics. Where are you from, where did you go for undergrad, and what were you up to before coming to law school?
I’m from Columbia, South Carolina, and went down the road (literally) to the University of South Carolina. Go Cocks!!! After undergrad, I worked as a legal assistant at a criminal defense firm. Somehow that didn’t deter me from applying to law school.
It seems that you’ve been on this path for a bit of a while. With that said, what would you be doing right now if you hadn’t come to law school?
Given that I was a History/Political Science double major, probably toiling away in some other grad program with worse employment outcomes. Maybe doing astrological readings for money.
What brought you to UVA?
Honestly, it was always my top choice—and when I visited Grounds, it only reaffirmed that this was where I wanted to be. I really fell for the school’s focus on quality of life and collegiality, which luckily have turned out to be more than just talking points. Although I was extremely disappointed to get here and find out that kegs in the library are a far-off dream of law students past.
I heard you had a bit of an unusual start to 1L Fall. Can you tell me more about that?
I managed to pick up COVID-19 on the D.C. Metro right before school started and had to miss orientation, so I didn’t exactly get to make a good first impression. My section endearingly dubbed me “Weird COVID Girl.” I got over the COVID part but have yet to beat the “weird” allegations.
The spring semester is certainly jam-packed with lots of events. Is there anything you are particularly looking forward to right now?
Even though there are so many fun things going on at the Law School, I’m probably most looking forward to seeing Mason Ramsey at the Jefferson in March. I can’t believe how far Walmart Yodel Boy has come. I hope Lil Nas X comes out for a guest appearance.
Lightning round!
Favorite late-night food?
Cookout, of course.
I’m glad to see another Cookout stan in the UVA Law community. For those who are still working on perfecting their order, can you share your go-to menu items?
Chicken tender tray with double onion rings and a chocolate peanut butter milkshake. (BYO Lactaid.)
What’s an overrated superpower?
Time travel.
What is your least favorite sound?
CHEWING NOISES.
Would you rather wear a Clemson jersey for one day or be cold-called every day for the rest of law school?
Cold-called!!!!! No question.
Favorite class so far?
It’s really hard to pick, but I’d have to say Civil Rights Litigation with Jeffries.
---
Interviewed by Brent Rice '25