Profile - Marty Kang '08

Undergraduate School: University of Texas  Hometown: Midland, Texas Before coming to W&L, Marty Kang helped develop the first public library for Manor, Texas as an Americorps VISTA volunteer. She also writes poetry and has even been published in the University of Chicago literary journal, Euphony.

What drew you to Washington and Lee?

At one point in my life, I was pursuing a Ph.D., and during that process, I had to question my dedication to a life in academia.  It didn't fulfill me, and I wasn't happy.  My choice is not a judgment against academic graduate programs—it is very much a personal decision.  Law school answers my desire to work in a field that feels real to me.  It gives me both academic challenges and active, hands-on participation.
 
The same deliberateness of choice and action applies to where you decide to go for school.  Because I went to a large university as an undergraduate, I applied to much smaller places for law school.  Attending the admitted students' weekend helped me choose W&L Law.  The students I met gave me an honest assessment: Law school is tough, and Lexington is small.  But they were also high in their praises about the tight community, the individual faculty members with whom they were much closer than they might have become at a larger school, and they all felt that they had received a solid legal education.

Other factors weighed in, too:  I was impressed by the strength of the alumni ties, even those as far away as in Texas.  I liked the scholarship the school gave me.  But, in the end, I really think it was the students' honesty and frankness that was key for me.  The students I met asked me this question:  Why are you going to law school?  If you cannot give up city-life pursuits, then don't come here.  But if you want to put in the work, forget the distractions, and get yourself a working degree, then W&L Law might be for you. 

Who's your favorite professor?

Two: Professors Halper and Rendleman.

Professor Halper was my Property professor, and she actually made future interests make sense. 

Professor Rendleman, my Injunctions, professor, just stuns me with how much he knows—his scholarship is incredible.  Just having a conversation with him is an enlightening experience.

What's your favorite thing about Lexington?

Honestly, now that I've spent a summer working in New York, I really, really love the trees.  It's nice being surrounded by nature after all those concrete buildings.  Going on a long drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway is breathtaking, and I still enjoy seeing the deer in the upper parking lot, even after two years.  Oh, and the chili cheese hot dogs at Kenny's. 

What student organizations were/are you involved with during law school? Was involvement in any of those particularly meaningful to your experience here?

Three main ones: Law Review, Diversity Week, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association.  I think Diversity Week was my most challenging and rewarding undertaking because it took so much work coordinating all the sponsoring groups during the summer and, really, to just get it off the ground because it was such a new event.  Working on it with Dean Evans and seeing this idea fulfilled has meant a lot to me, and I hope that it will continue to grow and be sponsored by the school and the student groups after I graduate.

Where did you work in the summers? How did W&L prepare you to meet the challenges of those practical experiences?

During the summer after my first year, I worked in-house for GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) in their aircraft financing division

For the summer after my second year, I worked at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman as a summer associate in their New York office, with a particular focus on transactional work, especially aircraft financing

And you know what, all those hours of Burks, working on Law Review, and generally researching and writing paid off...

Finally, attending or watching the videotapes of those Preparation for Practice series held by the career services office was really helpful—take those tips on how to behave in a firm setting, how you should be interacting with the attorneys, and how you should be handling your assignments to heart. 

Update: Marty now works in New York City at Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLP.