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 Kerry Shibib at KShibib@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.

2025-2026 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.
	Chloe Sin - Chloe is a third-year law student from Fairfax, Virginia. She graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology. Prior to law school, Chloe interned for Cetrulo LLP and WimerHale in Boston, Massachusetts and worked as a paralegal at a boutique IP patent prosecution firm in McLean, Virginia. At Washington & Lee, she currently serves as Symposium Editor for the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice, President of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, Treasurer of the American Constitution Society, and is a Law Ambassador. During her 1L summer, Chloe interned for a boutique family law firm in Wilmington, North Carolina and the Chesapeake Circuit Court in Virginia. During her 2L summer, she interned for Corpay's Legal In-House Department.
	Caroline Tichenor - Caroline is a second-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. At Washington & Lee, she currently serves as a staffwriter for the Washington and Lee Law Review, on the board of the Women Law Students Association as Vice President of Media, and as Treasurer of the Antitrust & Consumer Law Society. During her 2L summer, she will be a Summer Associate at Sheppard Mullin in Washington, D.C.
	Alyssa Wiese - Alyssa is a second-year law student from Keller, Texas. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Political Science. Alyssa spent her 1L summer working for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office in Dallas, Texas. At Washington & Lee, she currently serves as a junior editor for the German Law Journal, a member of the executive board for the First Generation Student Union, and as a Law Ambassador. During her 2L summer, Alyssa will be working for Cole, Scott & Kissane as a Summer Associate in Tampa, Florida.