Meet the 1Ls

Zoe Speas

Background

Zoe Speas hails from Cumberland, Virginia. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2012 before moving to New York City to embark on a career in the theater. She worked as a Shakespearean actor and musician across the country, eventually joining the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia.

On her Theater Career

I liked to think of myself as a Shakespearean scholar who preferred a stage to a classroom. Performance was a laboratory in which I and my ensemble-mates could interrogate classical text and use the audience and one another to test our ideas about language and stagecraft. The highlights of my previous work always involved tearing apart Shakespeare’s plays lineby-line, arguing (heatedly) with fellow actors about scansion and rhetoric, and engaging with audience members after performances – particularly young folks seeing their first play. I got to play some killer roles, but the one that stands out as a personal favorite was Roderigo in Othello. I love Shakespeare’s fools, and I love that fool especially because he’s a fool and a villain, and Shakespeare implicates you in the tragedy of it all by making you feel for the poor idiot while he does it.

Why W&L Law

It has always been W&L Law for me. Last fall, I registered for the LSAT and scheduled a visit to W&L Law. It took approximately 20 minutes of sitting in on an Immigration Law class to sell me heart and soul on this place. I love language and I love character. I wanted to do something that required me to bang my head repeatedly against words, words, words, but also something that rated empathy and respect for others above all else. I had a feeling switching from Shakespeare to statutes and common law wouldn’t feel like such a drastic pivot. I was right. They all make you want to simultaneously pull your hair out and drop to your knees in awe.

Marc Sendra

Background

Marc Sendra is originally from Orlando, Florida, and attended the University of Central Florida for his undergraduate degree. Prior to his educational experience, he served in the U.S. Army as a religious affairs specialist from 2015 to 2019 in the 82nd Airborne Division located in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

On his Military Career

First, my chaplain and I were responsible for the overall mental and spiritual well-being of about 500 soldiers. We provided counseling to soldiers and suicide prevention training. We were also responsible for ensuring that the spiritual needs of soldiers were met regardless of religious affiliation. Second, I was responsible for advising the commanding officer of my unit on the organic spiritual and mental health of our soldiers, including information regarding religious activities within the area of a deployed environment. Finally, the Geneva Convention prohibits the chaplain from being armed while in a deployed environment. This means that his chaplain’s assistant would act as armed security for the chaplain if we were in a hostile environment and received contact from opposing forces.

Why W&L Law

I chose W&L Law because of its reputation for being a high-quality law school. Admission to W&L Law meant so much to me that I applied binding early decision, fully ready to commit. While law school generally has a competitive environment, Washington and Lee offered something different. When I went to the admitted student open house, I confirmed that W&L Law did not promote a cutthroat environment. Instead, it was one of cooperation, cohesion, and teamwork among law professors and law students to ensure that everyone has a successful career. I have never been in an environment in academia where everyone is so willing to help one another.

Ebony Aiken

Background

Ebony Aiken ’25L is originally from Jackson, Mississippi, and attended the University of Houston for her undergraduate degree. She also obtained a master’s in public policy from the University of Arizona. Before starting law school, Ebony worked in real estate and in policy research. She is a licensed Realtor in Texas, and has worked with researchers at Arizona State University, Penn State, University of Arizona, and Louisiana State University-Shreveport on communitybased crime interventions, drug market interventions, food insecurity research, and implementing policy on the microlevel.

On her AmeriCorps Work

My service was very informative in understanding how public policy and the law impact different communities, learning how to work with various community stakeholders, and where some of the gaps in information lie and how to plug in said gaps. My AmeriCorps service focused on research, policy analysis, and implementation, which prepared me for critical analysis and synthesizing large sums of information. My work in the real estate industry taught me a lot about community needs and understanding that so much of those needs are impacted by law and policy even if people do not realize it.

Why W&L Law

I chose W&L Law because of the closeknit community, the student-to-faculty ratio, and the amount of support given to each student throughout their entire time at W&L. I knew that I wanted to go to a school where I could have oneon-one time with professors to enhance my understanding of legal concepts. W&L has spent a lot of time thinking about the whole person by curating a positive student experience inside and outside of the classroom. W&L has recognized that in order to get the best out of students, it’s important to prioritize wellness. Essentially, W&L cares about the details.

Kali Venable

Background

Originally from Houston, Texas, Kali Venable ’25L graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and certificate in creative writing. Before law school, she worked as a public safety reporter, and later as an investigative and environmental reporter at a daily newspaper in central south Texas. Her work has appeared in the Victoria Advocate, The New York Times, and Texas Monthly, among others.

On her Journalism Career

I have always loved storytelling and felt strongly about accountability, as well as empowering people to engage with their communities and make educated decisions for themselves and their families. A good story can do all the above, and I felt privileged to tell so many different types of stories. Journalism also allowed me to interact with people from all walks and forced me to observe society through a sort of third-party lens that made me challenge my own bias. I enjoyed that challenge because it broadened my perspective and fed my curiosity. Not to mention, the chaos of the newsroom and the rush of deadlines meant I rarely had a dull day on the job.

Why W&L Law

Prior to W&L Law, I had only attended large public schools. When I decided to go to law school, I wanted the opposite: a small school that would allow me to immerse myself in my studies. W&L is one of the smallest top-tier law schools, and I think the class size creates an immediate sense of intimacy and collegial environment that you won’t find anywhere else. The strong sense of community was palpable when I visited, as well as when alumni shared their experiences with me.