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Damon Thayer and Mahmoud Fadlallah: University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN [By Charisse Dengler] Both Damon Thayer and Mahmoud Fadlallah think being involved in student organizations is important to the overall law school experience.
Thayer, who is in his third year at the
“I oversee all student organizations and, to a
volunteers to work in legal aid clinics in
University of Minnesota Law School, is
lesser extent, law students,” Thayer said. “I
Florida and Texas.
currently the President of the Law Council
oversee the distributing of money to student
at the University of Minnesota Law School.
organizations to fund activities and speakers,
Since it’s an organization open only to 1Ls,
He said his favorite part of studying the law
appointment of students to the various
the group will be electing another president
is “learning how to view the world from the
committees of the law school, organization
soon.
Ivory Tower.”
of our orientation activities, organization of
Thayer first decided to go to law school
our annual ‘Malpractice Ball,’ and any other
“I knew that I needed to do some
matters that come before us.”
extracurricular activity to maintain my
because he wasn’t ready to enter the
sanity through my first year of law school,”
“real world.” Now he is looking forward
Thayer said he ran for a representative
Fadlallah said. “I also wanted to do volunteer
to graduating and working in St. Louis in
position on the council after hearing about
work to assist people that need help. I found
the area of commercial litigation. So far,
what a rewarding experience it was.
that ALP embodied these two goals in one
constitutional law has been his favorite course. “Constitutional law is my favorite course because it is a consistent source of entertainment,” he said. “Judges do whatever they want without regard to that silly concept that most of us refer to as ‘the law.’” During his three years in law school, Thayer has interned at a small law office, the public defender’s office, a state trial court judge’s office, and Bryan Cave, LLP, where he realized he enjoyed commercial litigation. “Bryan Cave is a large law firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri,” he said. “The firm interviewed me through our On-Campus Interview (OCI) program. The experience was amazing, the perfect mix of substantive work and fun activities.”
form—where on the one hand I was gaining “It is a great way to stay balanced, meet
practical, extracurricular, real-life legal
new people, take on a leadership role, and
experience, and on the other hand I was
network with others,” he said.
helping those in need.”
Fadlallah, a 2L at the University of Minnesota
This past summer, Fadlallah interned at
Law School, decided on law school after
Honeywell International, Inc., in St. Louis
going through a process of elimination.
Park, Minnesota. While assisting the legal department, he gained experience in contract
“In the beginning, I was opposed to pursuing
review work and also got to be a part of an
a career in virtually every other field, and
international litigation.
law was just the leftover,” Fadlallah said. “After studying it and observing it operate
“I enjoyed the experience very much,” he
in society, I truly developed a passion for
said. “As the only legal intern, and the first
it. Although many [...] warned me that the
that Honeywell has hired in awhile, one can
fire for this passion [would] die after the
imagine how excited the general counsels
first year of law school, three weeks into my
of the various businesses were to have an
second year it is still burning.”
intern on board. I found that the people with whom I worked—attorneys and others—were
During his 1L year, Fadlallah served as
very intelligent and a joy to be around.
president of the school’s Asylum Law Project
Additionally, the work that I received was
(ALP), an organization “aimed at providing
interesting and diverse.”
As President of the Law Council, Thayer
legal aid to victims of political or religious
describes the council’s purpose as
persecution seeking asylum in the United
Fadlallah hopes to get an internship at a law
representing the views of the school’s law
States.” The organization raises money
firm for the coming summer, so that by his
students and taking action accordingly.
through various events and sends first-year
3L year, he will have gained a wide variety
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ON THE NET
of experiences and will be able to decide
background and experiences. I also feel
exactly what he wants to do with his law
like this world is becoming increasingly
degree.
globalized and [that] the importance of this
University of Minnesota Law School
field is only growing stronger.”
www.law.umn.edu
an ongoing process, and for me, it simply
When asked what his favorite law school
University of Minnesota Law Council
involves gaining as much experience as
memory is so far, Fadlallah said he’s living it.
www.tc.umn.edu/cgi-bin/
“Deciding what I am most interested in is
do?user=lcouncil&prog=SO.pl
a law student can in as many fields as possible,” he said. “Until now, I have enjoyed
“Seeing the new 1Ls matriculate and begin
everything except family law and criminal
classes has allowed me to reflect upon this
law. International fields of study have always
past year and see how much I have truly
interested me, primarily because of my
grown,” he said.
PAGE
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