Profile - Chaitra Gokul '08

Undergraduate School: University of Rochester  Hometown: Syracuse, New York I was looking at a number of law schools, but what really drew me to Washington and Lee was the close knit community. I really enjoy the fact that the law school is small and everyone knows each other. I always have a friend in my classes and plans for the weekend. It is a great and collegial environment during a stressful time in your life.

Who's your favorite professor?

I have had two favorite professors during my time at Washington and Lee: Professor Murchison and Professor Massie. Professor Murchison is incredibly lively and entertaining, and he made class time so interesting. I never actually had a class with Professor Massie, but she was my note advisor for the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice. She is such a strong, intelligent woman, and she is a role model to me. I have learned so much from her, law related and otherwise, during our meetings regarding my note.

What's your favorite thing about Lexington?

My favorite thing about Lexington is the Southern hospitality. I am from New York, and I never really experienced living in a city where everyone smiles at you while you walk down the street. As an example, when I moved to Lexington, I opened an account at SunTrust Bank. When the teller found out that I was starting law school and that I was new to the area, she gave me her cell phone number and invited me to her house for dinner. She would periodically check in on me throughout my first year, because she knew that I was far from home, and going through a stressful time. It was so nice to realize that even though I didn't have my family with me, there were people who were looking out for me!

What student organizations have you been involved with during your time in law school?

I was the publicity chair for the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA) and also a member of the MultiCultural Advisory Board (MCAB) for the past two years. I also was a member of WLSO and BLSA in my first year of law school.

Right now, I am a Burks' Scholar. All of these experiences have been meaningful to me in different ways. I especially enjoyed serving on MCAB because it gave me an opportunity to speak to the administration about things that were important to me. I also felt like I was given the opportunity to give back to the school and try and improve it for future generations.

How has W&L prepared you to meet the challenges of the practical, work-related experiences you've had during your time in law school?

I spent the summer after my first year of law school working for the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society in Charlottesville, VA. This was a great experience because I felt like I really had the opportunity to help people. Because they were so understaffed, I was given a lot of responsibility. This was especially exciting because I had just completed my first year of law school, and I felt like I was really working with the law.

I spent the summer after my second year of law school working for Pepper Hamilton, LLP. I really enjoyed working for Pepper, and I will be going back to that firm after law school. I think that my legal writing and Burks' class at W&L really helped prepare me for the work that I did both summers. I was constantly writing memos or drafting documents during my summer work and I could not have done the work well without the legal writing preparation I received as a 1L.

Update: Chaitra now works in Philadelphia at Pepper Hamilton LLP.