Stanley Birch & Phil Tonseth ‘22
The Brash Brothers
Much like climbing a mountain, one’s journey through law school is full of ups and downs. 1L is an uphill climb, slogging through your first week of class, your first cold call, and first exams, all while attempting to navigate the job search and social clubs to truly immerse yourself into UVA Law. As a 3L, you’re on the downslope, focusing on getting safely and smoothly to graduation so the next exciting journey can begin. 2L, well it’s a mix of both. You work through OGI or finding a public service career, you take leadership roles in different clubs, and establish and grow friendships that will extend far beyond the confines of North Grounds. This interesting dichotomy of both an uphill and downhill challenge was aptly celebrated during the Midway Toast for the class of 2022 and explored by a number of speakers.
Over 100 2Ls joined Dean Sarah Davies, Kate Duvall, Professors George Cohen, George Geis, and Ann Coughlin, Vice Dean Leslie Kendrick, and Dean Risa Goluboff to celebrate and toast what is the midway point of the Class of 2022’s legal education. With the undercurrent of the pandemic upsetting the normal celebration, along with the journey a class would have typically experienced, Dean Goluboff succinctly remarked, “You’ve had to navigate challenges before you that no class has.”[1] While celebrating the resilience and flexibility of the class that Dean Davies spoke of, Dean Goluboff challenged the Class of 2022 to think with excitement and anticipation about what’s left in the second half of their journey through UVA Law. What horizons are there to be broadened, or specializations to explore? Have we as “half-lawyers” begun to truly discharge the trust that is placed in us as members of the legal profession?
The focus of the event did not only look to the future, however, as Vice Dean Kendrick made sure to celebrate the midpoint as its own moment. Quoting both Winnie the Pooh and Dante,[2] Dean Kendrick looked at the midpoint as a summit on the mountain, where we could view every crucible we had been through to get to this point while acknowledging that the path down to the next journey brings its own potential snares. From this vantage point at the summit,[3] we have an opportunity to reflect and enjoy a special moment that won’t come again.[4] Not to be outdone however, and—in our humble opinion—stealing the show, Professor Cohen spoke of this moment from a literature, film, and musical perspective. I think it’s fair to say the Class of 2022’s toasts after his speech were as much for Professor Cohen’s confidence and musical acumen as for themselves. Professor Cohen gave a rousing a capella rendition of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” to show we’re still in the “middle of the ride, but everything, everything, will be just fine.”
Pictured: Be sure to hold your classmates close when you finally get the chance. (Well . . . maybe not this close). Photo Courtesy of Phil Tonseth '22.
Professors Geis and Coughlin provided additional perspectives: The Class of 2022 should take this time not only to enjoy the view, but also to change goals and reorient as needed. Saving the heart-wrenching material for last, Professor Coughlin went through the list of things she missed about being in-person and seeing the Class of 2022 in the Law School. From explaining why the “palace” at Darden couldn’t compare to the Law School’s square to hoping a student would just make eye contact with her in class, and from admonishing those that drink too much to praising the invitations to softball games, her point rang true. Kelli Finnegan ’22 concurred, remarking “the small things I never thought much about are the ones I truly miss the most during this pandemic.” As a class, working together through complex problems to grow into the legal profession, the Class of 2022 brought joy to themselves and the Law School community.
Although this entirely occurred on Zoom, Caroline Elvig ’22, opined that “the celebration and excitement was still present. I’m proud of the Class of 2022 and how far we’ve come together. This moment marks eighteen months of long readings, supportive classmates and friends, and professors who I know will cheer us on for the next eighteen months and beyond.” John Trach ’22 commented, “There are many ways to view the midpoint of any journey. For some, I’m sure it’s bitter sweet, and for others it’s simply a downhill coast after a steep climb. But for me—having not been in a full class on campus for nearly a year—it feels like a restart of something new, like the completely fresh beginning of a second game of a double header. I feel a sense of excitement to be back in a classroom, to meet the class of 2023 and 2024, and to have the opportunity to participate in all the traditions and activities of UVA Law that evaded me so far.”
Pictured: Student Affairs ensured the Class of 2022 was toasted and treated appropriately to celebrate the occasion. Photo Courtesy of Tom Langstaff '22.
So as the Class of 2022 raised its final glass of the Midway Toast, a truth that had hidden itself in the ether of social distancing resurfaced: This class, our class, is a phenomenal group that the authors are humbled to be a part of. As we logged off, eager to roam that familiar North Grounds building, vacant of its once-buzzing energy, we were warmed and energized by what we had heard. While we hope to be together and remove the constant distance that has come between us, we know “it just takes some time” and everything, everything will really be alright.
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sfb9yu@virginia.edu
pjt5hm@virginia.edu
[1] She wondered what the Class of 1920 must have gone through during the 1918 influenza pandemic. We wonder as well if that class had anxiety about whether their camera had to be on or off for remote learning.
[2] Evoking both childhood and death, this helped center the discussion by finding a point in-between, celebrating where we are and what’ve we already accomplished on the long trek.
[3] Dean Kendrick did not imply that the Class of 2022 has peaked, of course.
[4] While we both agree this view is lovely, it’s not the hill we’re willing to die on. Time to keep trekking.