2012-13 Burks Scholars

David Bean

David was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and Laguna Beach, California. He spent this past summer as an intern at the U.S. Army Garrison-Schweinfurt in Schweinfurt, Germany working for the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General. During his previous 1L summer, David worked as a research assistant for Friedman on Leases, a property law treatise. For his 3L year, he will participate in the Prosecutor Externship.

This year, David is the Managing Events Editor for the Journal for Energy, Climate, and the Environment as well as the Mock trial Administrator for the Moot Court Executive Board. Prior to attending W&L, David was a special education teacher in Washington, D.C. through Teach For America as well as a 6th grade mathematics and science teacher. He is a graduate of both Cornell University and George Mason University.

Eric Chapman

Eric graduated from George Mason University in 2006 with an undergraduate degree in English and Political Science. He received a Masters in English Literature in 2010 from the same institution. Prior to attending Washington & Lee, Eric juggled three jobs, working full-time as a paralegal for Charlson Bredehoft Cohen & Brown PC in Northern Virginia, teaching University 100 at George Mason University, and serving as wine manager for various restaurants, retailers, and caterers.

During his 1L summer, Eric interned for the Honorable James G. Welsh, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg, Va. This past summer, Eric split his summer between working as a Summer Associate for LeClairRyan in Blacksburg, Va. and as a Research Assistant for Professor Brant J. Hellwig.

Eric currently serves on the Board of the Washington & Lee Wine Law Society. He is also president of the Virginia Bar Association - W&L Law School Council, active in the Epicurean Society, and moonlights as a server at the Red Hen. Previously, Eric served as the American Bar Association Representative for Washington & Lee, as a Lt. Governor for the 4th Circuit of the American Bar Association, and as a staff writer for the Washington & Lee Law Review.   

This year, in addition to serving as a Burks Scholar, Eric will be a judicial extern for The Honorable Rebecca Connelly, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg, Va. Eric spends his spare time with his wife, Aliya, and their Yorkshire Terrier, Dora. 

 Mike Furlano

Mike was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prior to attending Washington and Lee, Mike earned a Bachelors and Masters degree in Political Science at the University of Windsor. During his 1L summer, Mike interned at the Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit, Michigan. In his 2L summer, Mike worked for Michigan Legal Services helping low-income Detroit citizens from losing their homes. This fall, Mike has an externship with the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia’s Antitrust and Consumer Litigation section.

In addition to being a Burks Scholar, Mike is the Publishing Editor of the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice. His Note, Without a Leg to Stand On: Establishing Standing in Challenges to Government Surveillance Programs, will be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal.

 Katie Gray

Katie was born and raised in Texas.  She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook 'Em!) in 2010 with a degree in Corporate Communications and a minor in Business Administration and Spanish.  During her time at UT, Katie was an Academic All American player on the UT Women's Lacrosse team and coached lacrosse at a local middle school.  Katie spent the summer before her senior year interning at Kirby McInerney, LLP. 

Following her 1L year, Katie did human rights work in Cambodia, gaining experience in indigent defense.  Katie spent 9 weeks of her 2L summer working for capital defense attorneys in Houston, visiting Texas death row inmates, and performing various legal research, writing, and investigative tasks.  She spent the other 6 weeks of the summer clerking for Justice Jeff Brown of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston.  In addition to being a Burks Scholar her 3L year, Katie is a lead articles editor on the German Law Journal and a Case Manager for the Southwest Virginia Innocence Project.  Katie participates in the Criminal Justice Clinic and the Transnational Law Clinic, which will take her to Liberia in the Spring. 

Kyle Hosmer

Kyle is a native of Denver, Colorado.  He graduated with a BA in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Northern Colorado—the other UNC.  During his time at Northern Colorado he served as president of the Ice Climbers Club and played on the men’s rugby club.

In addition to the Burks Scholar program, Kyle also serves as a Notes Editor for the Washington & Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment.  Nuclear Power 2021 Act, a note he coauthored, will be published in the upcoming volume of the journal.  He is also a research assistant for Professor Erik Luna and a member of the Tucker Inn chapter of Phi Delta Phi.

Kyle spent his 2011 and 2012 summers working at the Charleston, West Virginia office of Spilman Thomas & Battle, P.L.L.C.  Kyle is an extern for Judge John Gibney of the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond for the 2012–2013 school year.

Kelly McGuire 

Kelly spent this past summer as a summer associate at Lemery Greisler, LLC.  During her 1L summer, she was a law clerk in Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP’s Albany office. Kelly is a Lead Articles Editor of the Washington and Lee Law Review. Additionally, her note, Limiting the Legislative Privilege: Analyzing the Scope of the Speech or Debate Clause, will be published in the Washington and Lee Law Review this year.

Kelly graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Albany with a degree in English and a minor in Philosophy. She is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. While at SUNY Albany, Kelly worked as a legal assistant at O’Connell and Aronowitz. Prior to that, she worked as an office assistant at Lavelle and Finn, LLP.

Sarah Rust

Sarah, a native of Clearwater, Florida, graduated from the University of Florida in 2009 with a degree in Finance and a minor in East Asian Languages and Literature.  Prior to attending Washington and Lee, Sarah interned at Johnson & Johnson’s corporate office, and managed real estate transactions for a brokerage specializing in short sales.  She spent last summer working at both the Richmond office of Troutman Sanders LLP and the Roanoke office of Wood Rogers PLC. 

In addition to serving as a Burks Scholar, Sarah is Managing Editor of the Journal of Energy, Climate and the Environment and Tucker Inn Magister of Phi Delta Phi.  As part of the third year program, she works with both the University of Virginia’s General Counsel and the Tax Clinic.  Sarah also enjoys reading, swimming, and college football.

Carney Simpson

Carney graduated from the University of Georgia in 2009 with a degree in Finance and a minor in Sociology.  Prior to attending Washington & Lee, Carney worked as an administrative assistant at St. Joseph’s/Candler Immediate Care Center in Savannah, Georgia. In addition to serving as a Burks Scholar, Carney is the Symposium Editor for the Washington and Lee Law Review and a Law Ambassador for the admissions office. Her note, Do End-Users Get the Best of Both Worlds?  — Title VII of Dodd–Frank and the End-User Exception, will be published in the Washington and Lee Law Review this year.

In her 1L summer, Carney worked at Savage, Turner, Pinckney & Madison in Savannah, Georgia. This past summer, Carney interned with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Counsel Office in Atlanta, Georgia. This experience enabled her to evaluate administrative medical malpractice claims and furthered her interest in healthcare law. In her third year, Carney will work in W&L’s Black Lung Clinic.