We asked him to share how he became interested in pursuing a career in law and what he did to navigate this journey. (This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
When did you become interested in pursuing a career in law?
I did a long project about the history of antitrust regulation in my junior year of high school … that was definitely a big part of my interest. Also, I took a lot of sociology at Hamilton, which I think is very related to law. I took Sociology of Culture with Professor [Steven] Ellingson, Law and Society, and a Justice Lab class, which were really great. I also grew up in this animation studio that my mom has. She made a lot of content for different social causes … and there’s definitely a similar element between that and the law, condensing something and making an argument that persuades people.
Do you know yet what area of law interests you most?
I like Civil Procedure. It’s all about litigation and the strategic element of engaging in a lawsuit.
How have you liked your first semester? What about it in particular?
I’ve liked it a lot. It’s quite intense, though. The whole month of October, you’re in class or the library or you’re sleeping. But the amount that you learn in such a short period of time is incredible. The way you think about things and look at things are completely changed in the course of one or two semesters. The key is really to embrace that — to learn as much of the information as you can and see how you can connect it back to things you know and make sense of the world in a different way.
Pre-Law at Hamilton
Students build the analytical reasoning, persuasive communication, and ethical leadership skills that define successful legal careers – all hallmarks of a Hamilton education.
Why did you opt for the AILE program and head to law school “early?”
I have long been interested in the law. For many years, I made it a practice to read a lot of law journal articles in different areas of the law that I found innately interesting. I was very unsure throughout the whole process that I was actually going to get in. So, it wasn’t exactly as though I had decided to do it, but rather that I decided to try it and see what happened.
Was there anyone at Hamilton who helped you find this path, particularly the AILE program?
Professor [Frank] Anechiarico is a big one. Professor [Keelah] Williams was very helpful with the nomination process and giving feedback on my application, and then Professor [Wei] Zhan and the whole committee on academic policy. All of those people probably did most of the work. It would never have happened without any of [them].
How has a liberal arts education prepared you for law school?
In some ways, I found law school to be a much faster paced version of an undergrad liberal arts environment. I think there’s a misperception of law school as being a very mechanical thing, and they teach you a bunch of rules and you memorize and apply the rules. All of that is true to some degree, but that exists in the context of the liberal arts setting. It’s very much geared toward how the rules fit into broader theories of society.
What do you ultimately want to accomplish with your law degree?
I’d like to clerk in a federal court, which is more of a short-term goal. One of the great things about Columbia is there’s so many super interesting people who come here, and you get to hear about all sorts of different ideas and pathways that exist. I guess the short answer is clerking and then some type of litigation.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The Honor Court was really good preparation for law school. Being on the Honor Court is a unique feature of Hamilton because there are very few places where students get to be that involved in the adjudicatory process of the College administration. That experience was a major part of my time at Hamilton and a good way to be involved in the campus community.
Posted December 9, 2025
