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Name: Allison Weber
Degree: JD
Hometown: I am originally from small-town Illinois, but in my adult life, the longest I have lived somewhere is Flagstaff, Arizona.
Undergrad: Taylor University
What motivated you to pursue a degree in law?
Law school was always something I wanted to pursue, but after I received my first job after college, I thought the time had passed. Thankfully, life comes back to you as your life, and when I was at a crossroads in my career, I decided to finally go for it.
Which courses or professors had the most significant impact on your legal education and why?
Answering this is too hard and is like asking parents to pick their favorite child! Learning legal writing was really difficult for me as I love to write poetry and elegant prose. First semester legal writing was my most challenging course by far because I was pretty stuck in my writing ways. But, Professor Diana Simon provided extensive feedback because she knew I could do it.
Additionally, when I felt like I was foolish for going back to school later in life or foolish that I set my sights too high on what I wanted to pursue in my legal career, Dean Jason Kreag was a listening ear.
Finally, I had the opportunity to take three classes from Professor Toni Massaro in each of my three years. She is the consummate educator. No one delivers a lecture like Professor Massaro! Not only did I learn about the Constitution, but I learned so much about hope and the courage to keep fighting for what is good and right.
What are your immediate plans post-graduation?
I will be clerking for Judge Christopher Staring on the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two in Tucson.
What area of law are you planning to specialize in, and what influenced this choice?
I do not have one specific area of law I am planning to specialize in, but I know I am energized when working with others to pursue a greater good. During my 2L summer, I had the opportunity to intern with the DOJ Civil Rights Division, and my 3L spring semester, I interned with the DOJ Antitrust Division. While the experiences were quite different, the common denominator was that I felt like I was working among intelligent, passionate attorneys who were motivated to make the country a more equitable, fair, safe place to exist as a human in all its facets.
How do you hope to make a difference in the legal field or in society through your career?
Post-clerkship, I would like to seek a trial attorney position with the federal government or perhaps with an organization that does impact litigation.
Looking back on your law school experience, what would you have done differently or what advice would you give to your younger self?
Be open to changing your mind about things. This can be about people, ideas or the direction you think your life should go. I would have started school less anxious about needing to have a set idea of the type of law I wanted to practice upon graduating. What I am hoping to pursue after graduation is a career path I did not even know existed when I started school!
This interview has been edited for length. See here for the full story.
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