Profile - Eric Hoffman '10

Undergraduate School: Cornell University Hometown: Austin, Texas I was drawn to Washington and Lee mainly by its reputation and its location. Washington and Lee has surpassed all of my expectations in regards to both, and I am incredibly happy and fortunate to have ended up here.

What's your favorite thing about Lexington?

The friendliness and trust that exists among members of the Lexington community has been my favorite thing about Lexington so far. Encouraged by the "Speaking Tradition," that one should say "hi" to anyone they pass while on campus at W&L, this town is one of the friendliest I've ever been in. Beyond this, there are many locales in town (including the eatery at the law school) that accept I-O-U's if you don't have the correct cash, and this to me speaks volumes about the amount of trust in this town. This kind of environment promotes a level of civility that is not often found these days.

Originally when applying to law school, I was scared of Lexington's size and relative isolation. Now that I am here, I think that Lexington is the perfect environment in which to study law. I could not imagine having to deal with rush hour traffic after a long, hard day of classes, or having a million distractions during finals. The peace and tranquility of Lexington, added with the friendliness of everyone here, have made Lexington a great place to go to law school for me.

What student organizations are you involved in?

The organization I am involved with the most is the Executive Committee, which is comprised of 13 members (this year, five law students and eight undergraduates) that oversee the governance of the entire university and the honor system. Although I have only been on the EC for a few short weeks, I have thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to represent my law class to the whole university and work on issues that affect every student at W&L. The EC, and the ability of law students to get involved, is yet another unique quality of this university. I am grateful to be part of this great tradition.