Research Assistants

The Law Library supports the research needs of the W&L Law faculty and administration with the help of Andrew W. McThenia Faculty Research Assistants (RAs), second- and third-year law students that provide curated research support for scholarly activities and projects.

The RAs assist with projects of varying scope and duration, and may be assigned to work with any full-time faculty or administration member in need of support during the academic year or summer. Projects assigned to the RAs usually require 20 hours or less of research time, typically for no more than 10 hours per week. Our law librarians strive to pair RAs with projects and professors that are a good fit for their interests and ambitions, and collaborate with the faculty member and RAs to ensure timely, high-quality work product.

W&L Law faculty or administrators in need of research assistance, as well as students interested in serving as RAs, should contact librarian Nina-Simone Edwards at NEdwards@wlu.edu. Opportunities for RA positions may also appear on SCORE, maintained by the Office of Career Strategy. As with other student jobs at the Law School, RAs are paid at an hourly rate for their work.

Funding for the McThenia RA program is generously provided through the Frances Lewis Law Center. The program is named in honor of Andrew W. "Uncas" McThenia, Professor of Law, Emeritus at W&L Law.

2026-2027 McThenia Research Assistants

	Thomas Choi - Thomas is a second-year law student from Lake Orion, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Asian Studies. Thomas spent his 1L summer as a judicial intern in the Chesapeake Circuit Court. During his 2L summer, Thomas will be joining the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.
	Haley Quinn Lawson - Haley is a second-year law student from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2022, she graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies and Communication Studies with a minor in Business Institutions and a certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications. Prior to law school, Haley worked as a Junior Paralegal at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago, Illinois. During her 1L summer, Haley worked as a Summer Associate at Miller & Martin in Atlanta, Georgia. At W&L, she serves as a Law Ambassador and is involved in the Women Law Students Organization as the Vice President of Mentorship & Service and in the Sports, Entertainment, and Intellectual Property Law Society as the Treasurer. During her 2L summer, she will be working in Washington, D.C. at Eversheds Sutherland.
	Ryan Mollin - Ryan is a second-year law student from Franklin County, Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. Ryan currently serves as the President of the Environmental Law Society and as a Junior Editor and Social Media Chair for the German Law Journal. During his 1L Summer, Ryan interned for the Supreme Court of Virginia in the Office of the Chief Staff Attorney and as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable James P. Jones of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. During his 2L Summer, Ryan will be working at PennStuart in its Bristol, Johnson City, and Abingdon offices.
	Sophia Russo - Sophia is a second-year law student from Richmond, Virginia. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and History. Prior to law school, she worked as a paralegal at McGuireWoods in Richmond. Sophia spent her 1L summer working for the Honorable Robert Ballou in the Western District of Virginia. She currently serves as a staff-writer for the Washington and Lee Law Review. During her 2L summer, she worked at Seward & Kissel in New York.
	Caroline Tichenor - Caroline is a third-year law student from DeLand, Florida. Prior to attending law school, she graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and minor in Political Science. Caroline spent her 1L summer in Dallas, Texas, interning for the Honorable Brian McKay in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. During her 2L summer, she was a Summer Associate at Sheppard in Washington, D.C. and will return to the firm after graduation. At Washington & Lee, she currently serves as Managing Online Editor for the Washington and Lee Law Review, Co-President of the Women Law Students Association, and as a Burks Scholar for Professor Julie Schwartz.