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Members of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Jurisprudence Learning Community (JPLC), one of four learning communities in the Schar School of Policy and Government, recently visited Richmond, Virginia, where they got a firsthand look at the breadth of opportunities a legal career can offer.
Accompanied by JPLC Faculty Director Shea Holman and Assistant Director of Student Engagement Emilee Duffy, students embarked on the annual two-day trip, which included a visit to the Supreme Court of Virginia. There, students met and spoke with Justice Cleo E. Powell. They next sat in on a session of the Virginia General Assembly before gathering for dinner at a local restaurant.
The next morning, the group ventured to the Eastern District of Virginia District Court, where they met Magistrate Judge Summer L. Speight. The last stop before heading back to campus was a tour of the University of Richmond School of Law, where students also met with admissions staff and attended an hourlong panel with current law students.
Lacey Eckert, a sophomore in the JPLC studying government and international politics, hopes to pursue a career in law. She especially appreciated meeting Justice Powell and hearing about her rise to the bench.
“Her determination and high hopes in her career excited me for what was to come for me,” she said. “This trip has connected me to the love of the law more so than before, creating a variety of opportunities I can explore when I enter law school.” Read Lacey's first-person account of the trip.
The trip to Richmond is just one of many events offered to students in the JPLC, a yearlong, nonresidential learning community. JPLC is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in law—those exploring how the law pertains to their chosen career path in public administration, policy, or politics, and those hoping to pursue law school after graduation.