Profile - Jacob Stoehr '10

Undergraduate School: Washington and Lee  Hometown: McLean, Virginia

What drew you to Washington and Lee?

I felt a moral obligation to attend law school after spending an extended period of time living in Latin America.  I hope to use the expanding field of international law to level the playing field created by current power imbalances which tend to precipitate injustices.  Obviously, much of this centers around corporate law, for which Washington & Lee has excellent programs.  The small class sizes, intimate environment and access to professors drew me to W&L Law.  

Describe your favorite classroom experience.

We walked into class one day and found our seating arrangement totally undone.  The professor had paired us into teams of counsel and co-counsel, as well as panels of judges.  The professor entered and began rattling off the facts of the case, gave us a few minutes to discuss with our co-counsel and then had us give oral arguments on behalf of the plaintiff or defendant (or respond to them in the case of the "judges").  It was nerve-racking, but a great learning experience for our future profession, as well as an exciting test of our immediate knowledge of applicable materials.

Who's your favorite professor?

Mark Drumbl is a prominent scholar in the field of international law and runs W&L's Transnational Law Institute. He is a brilliant professor, who expects a great deal of his students because he wants his students to be as prepared as possible for practice. Yet, for all of his prestige in the field and as demanding as his classes are, any student can still walk into his office for a chat - about class or about their career. You can get professors that teach at a high level and are writing influential scholarship at lots of schools, but at W&L you get full access to those professors.

What's your favorite thing about Lexington?

The natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the quiet nature and limited distractions of small town living. 

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

I work every Sunday with Campus Kitchen, which is an organization that takes donated food and left over food from the campus dining facilities and makes it into meals for various organizations and individuals in need around Rockbridge County.  I work a delivery shift taking meals to several families that have been benefited with Habitat for Humanity Houses.  This experience serves a reminder to me of the struggles of our neighbors and our responsibility to communities in which we live. 

Anything else you'd like to add?

Having gone to W&L for undergrad and choosing to return (I worked in Nicaragua during the three years in between) I can attest to the value of a small school and the corresponding small class sizes.  Learning takes place on an entirely different level.  Every professor knows every student's name and can train and educate their students in a personal way.  The standards are high, but so is the level of support.