This blog post is part of our ongoing guest Blog Series: “Opportunity Knocks.” For a full schedule, please see: http://law.scu.edu/lcs-blog/upcoming-blog-series-opportunity-knocks/
Raised by a single mother in Idaho, I had no exposure to international travel or other cultures. I attribute my initial desire to explore the world to my best friend who grew up in Dubai. Listening to him talk about his travels made me want to learn about other countries and cultures.
In college I made a life shaping decision — and it continues to be the advice I give to anyone who will listen (more advice below). I went and created an opportunity. I petitioned the school to let me spend the January Term living in Dubai to learn about young womens’ perceptions of Americans in a post September 11th world. The initial sense of accomplishment at being granted permission to do something no other student had ever done, coupled with the incredible amount I learned during my time in Dubai, shaped the way I look at things. It was not the only time I spent abroad – a semester in Spain and a stint in the Peace Corps were part of my pre-law experience – but it was the most eye widening in terms of learning about the possibilities that exist.
I knew I wanted to go to Law School pretty much all of my life and chose Santa Clara based on its reputation for international law and the administration’s willingness to help students find opportunities outside of the standard path. Santa Clara exceeded my expectations on all fronts. Anyone seeking to create their own path should seek out a personal or professional mentor to help guide their way. In particular, I have to give full credit to Professor Beth Van Schaack. She supervised my 1L summer, my 3L work abroad and has generally had a huge impact on my life both personally and professionally.
My 1L summer I split my time between studying in Costa Rica at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and interning for the Center for Justice and International law in Brazil. The summer taught me about bringing cases against countries for the failure to prevent human rights violations.
My 2L year I wanted to work for the UN at the International Criminal Court in Yugoslavia. I petitioned Santa Clara and became the first its student to go overseas for a semester externship.
I spent the first semester of 3L in The Hague working in chambers. When I came back, I interned for the Center for Justice and Accountability and for (now) Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.
I’ve drawn upon my international experience regularly in my post-law school career. I started at Morrison and Foerster (MoFo) practicing IP & employment litigation, then moved in-house to Visa specializing in e-commerce, and am now at Ruckus Wireless running a compliance program. From negotiating in Spanish, to looking at the Hague Convention, to simply being able to talk about a random city I’ve visited, all of it has helped me get to where I am today.
For anyone seeking a less-than-conventional path through law school, I offer the following advice.
First, create opportunities. I realize that’s easier said than done, but find your passion, find the people willing to support you and go after it. The infrastructure wasn’t in place for Dubai or the UN externship. Sometimes you have to ask for it to be created. There was no International Human Rights Clinic when I went to SCU. I asked, why not? That started the conversation with Professor Sloss who helped start the clinic.
Second, go abroad! Working overseas can add more to your resume than you may expect. During my on campus interviews people didn’t ask about law classes or my work experience. Rather, they wanted to discuss my experiences in Mozambique, Costa Rica and Brazil. As a candidate, it can be difficult to distinguish yourself with a one page resume, but experience studying and working abroad can set you apart.
Third, network. Make connections with people, not just so you can get something from them, but because your genuine interest in others and willingness to assist may come back to help you at some point.
Fourth, know your goals and share them. Many careers have been supported by people putting together individuals with common goals. If you share what you want, someone else might have the key to enable that dream to come true
Fifth, don’t underestimate the power of pro-bono. We all get busy, but regardless of whether your original goal for going to law school was to make money or to change lives, pro bono can be a huge boost to your career. For me, the experience of starting the pro-bono program at Visa is one my favorite accomplishments because it not only allowed me to help people, but created a program where 150 of my colleagues do it as a regular part of their practice. Not only that, but it is experience that I tout when talking to companies about initiative and self-sufficiency.
[I wanted to keep it to 5, but I cant!]
Sixth, don’t let fear shape your career. I had the opportunity to defer starting at MoFo for the year to go work for the UN Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. I turned down the UN opportunity out of fear that my position at MoFo wouldn’t be waiting for me. It’s the only time I’ve let fear lead my decisions and it’s the closest thing I have to a regret. Again, easier said than done, but if you have the opportunity, seize it.
Jessica Tipton
Jessica Tipton graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2009. She began her career in IP Litigation at Morrison & Foerster LLP, before moving in house to Visa. While working at Visa, Jessica counseled global teams and started the company’s first pro bono program. She now serves as corporate counsel to Ruckus Wireless.