of Technology , he plans to return to engineering after graduating with his J . D . Although he has decided not to practice , he considers his legal studies far from a waste of time , “ I try to take classes that have some purpose or some relevance in my career … I personally feel like my J . D ., even though I do not plan to practice law , will help my professional career as an engineer .” Mr . Edwards is the Vice President of the GSU Chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and works part-time while attending school .
Colt Burnett first thought about becoming a lawyer his senior year at the University of Georgia . After studying Spanish and Journalism , he took a job thousands of miles from Athens , as a television news producer in Indiana . His brief career in journalism was an eventful one , following the summer of 2015 , in which the Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional , then-Indiana-governor Mike Pence prompted controversy after signing into law an anti-LGBT religious freedom bill . In 2016 , Mr . Burnett ’ s Indiana town was visited by then-candidates Donald Trump , Ted Cruz , Hillary Clinton , and Bernie Sanders . Mr . Burnett decided that he no longer wanted to cover the action , but to be a part of it . He says coverage of current events only deepened his interest in the law . When asked what parallels he draws between the two professions he responded , “ Big concepts that come to mind are teamwork , deadlines , and long hours . I also think both professions require integrity and diligence . And coffee . Lots of coffee .”
Catherine Gavrilidis is a 2L student at the GSU College of Law , who is interested both employment law , as well as criminal . “ My interest in employment stems from my experiences at work … especially having seen how slight factual variations can draw drastically different results ,” says Ms . Gavrilidis . She says her direction following law school is not set in stone , but she has appreciated the opportunity to apply her knowledge of criminal law to her moot court competition problem . She acknowledges her employment experience for providing her with a place to pick up practical skills like multi-tasking and project management , “ which is very useful now that I ' m both working and going to school .” Ms . Gavrilidis is a part-time student who works for Team Trivia , a company that coordinates live trivia games in bars and restaurants all over the country , as well as for corporate and special events . Her primary responsibility is running the national franchise network , which hosts approximately 850 live games nationwide every week , and acting as support for the franchisees , from development strategy to printing / promotional needs , as well as marketing , web and game development , and local responsibilities as needed . Ms . Gavrilidis credits her employment for her decision to come to law school , citing an interest in how to organize a company , but she says , “ It was watching the lawyers during jury duty that finally sold me .”
Before attending law school , 2L Student , Luke Perdue was responsible for the training , direction , and discipline of a four-man machine gun team deployed in Djibouti . Prior to his deployment , he worked as an account manager at IZEA , Inc ., a start-up social media and digital marketing agency . Mr . Perdue says he always wanted to be an attorney but wanted to be sure he was making the right choice . His time overseas reinforced his desire to help others and served as the final motivating factor to apply to law school . Mr . Perdue plans to draw from both of his previous employment experiences following graduation , “ I am looking to rejoin the US Army as a Judge Advocate General because it is the best of both worlds . I would be able to continue serving my country as a soldier , while also helping those who serve alongside me , as a military attorney . I am also interested in Data Privacy and Compliance , as I find this rapidly growing field fascinating .” Mr . Perdue spent his semester working at an immigration firm , and says although work and class can be daunting , “… turning this black letter law knowledge into a brief on a client ' s behalf helps ground the law in something more immediate and approachable , while also being incredibly rewarding .” ▪
10 November 2017