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Each year, we welcome the incoming JD and LLM classes by profiling a few of the students and getting to know them better, including their career goals, their personal interests, and what made them decide to come to Duke Law. As part of our graduation celebration, we checked in with some of the students profiled from the Class of 2021 to find out whether their career plans have changed and what their experiences were like at Duke Law.

Maryam Kanna JD/LLM ’21

What are your plans after you graduate? 
I plan to complete a one-year clerkship with U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein of the Southern District of New York. After that, I plan to return to the firm where I was a summer associate, Debevoise & Plimpton, in New York City.
 
Have your career interests changed since you began law school? 
I am still interested in human rights as a long-term career goal. After conversations with Professor Jayne Huckerby, who has been one of my professional mentors during my time at Duke Law, it made a lot of sense to start out my career in private practice before pursuing human rights opportunities. 
 
Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law?
During my time at Duke Law, I learned so much from several amazing professors. Professors Huckerby and Fujimura-Fanselow taught me so much about human rights and advocating for marginalized groups. Professor Joseph Blocher was a trusted advisor throughout my clerkship application process, and was always a friendly source of encouragement and advice. Professor Barak Richman and I have had many deep conversations about important issues in the world. Professor Laurence Helfer has always enriched my perspective on international law. And Professor Holning Lau, a visiting professor from UNC, advised me on my note, "Furthering Decolonization: Judicial Review of Colonial Criminal Laws," 70 Duke L.J. 411 (2020), and introduced me to a truly fascinating area of law in comparative constitutional law. Finally, Professor Rebecca Rich taught me almost everything I know about legal writing and has been a wonderful mentor to me.
 
Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why?
There are really too many to count. But special mentions for Serena Tibrewala and Garmai Gorlorwulu, who demonstrated a tireless dedication to making Duke Law School a more welcoming, inclusive place. 
 
What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law?
The people. I have made a few lifelong friends here and I absolutely treasure the fact that I was able to meet them. Law school is an extremely challenging experience for everyone who goes through it. But being in the trenches with the friends I made along the way was worth it.

Christoph Zaugg LLM'21

What will you be doing after you graduate?
I will travel with my family for a month through the south-east of the U.S. (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana). I am most looking forward much to spending more time with our 1-year old son, and playing with him at the beach. I am eager to see New Orleans though. We will return from New Orleans to Switzerland.

Have your career plans or interests changed from when you started law school?
No, I will return to the Zurich-based law firm Walder Wyss. I am an associate in our M&A team. Beside my improvement in English, the skills I learnt for contract drafting will help me particularly.

Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law?
Professor Cox. I took business associations and securities regulations with him. He was also my assigned advisor and helped me much with the decision whether to come to the U.S. for the fall semester, given the pandemic.

Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why?
It’s a very tough question because my classmates were so diverse and the circumstances so particular during the last year. A female LLM student had a baby shortly after the beginning of the last semester but continued classes and is now also writing the exams. I think it is particular that she did not postpone her studies, but stayed on track.

What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law?
The flexibility to organize my days in the way I want. That’s less possible at work.
 
How do you think your time at Duke prepared you for the next stage of your career?
I met many interesting people, which is important. I improved my English. I learnt many skills that are important for my practice (regarding contract drafting, management of law firms, etc.). I am also very happy that I learnt much about many of the most important Supreme Court decisions. This was much fun, even though I didn’t expect it.
 
What lesson or experience did you have that you feel will help you the most after you graduate?
I think the contract drafting skills we learnt were super helpful since I deal with contracts on a daily basis.

Andrew Lindsay ’21

What are your plans after you graduate? 
I will be joining Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP's New York office. 

Have your career interests changed since you began law school? 
Yes, pretty significantly. I've done away with the conventional career path I had long envisioned before law school, clerkship(s), then firm, then U.S. Attorney's Office or academia/think-tank, and so on. The pandemic was an eye-opener for me. I reflected a lot on my background. I'm an American-born black kid raised in Jamaica. I was co-parented by a professor dad and lawyer-turned-evangelical preacher mom, themselves with quirky backgrounds. I've never been cookie-cutter and neither have my parents, so why should I start now? 

That said, I ultimately hope to work at the intersection of law, technology, and economic policy. The novel global challenges of the next several decades—particularly, as climate change rages unabated—will require unconventional ideas that span different disciplines, nations, and cultures. I'm up for the challenge.

Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law?
It was a mixed bag of professors and administrators who lead by example. Professors Kate Evans and Jim Coleman of the Immigrant Rights Clinic and Wrongful Convictions Clinic, respectively; Professor James Boyle, who taught me Foundations of Law, Law & Literature, and Legal Theory; Dean Kerry Abrams, my research supervisor; and Jennifer Kaplan, my career advisor. 

Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why?
It's a three-way tie between Megan Mallonee '21, Reem Gerais '21, and Danielle Bembry '20. Megan for her selfless and exuberant spirit (seriously, her pro-bono hours and extracurriculars are insane), Reem for her mettle and humility (despite her status as an academic rockstar), and Dani for her mentorship (after all, dozens of students in the classes of 2021 and 2022, myself included, wouldn't be where we are without her guidance).
 

What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law?
Classes and collegiality. Classes: While law school was my most challenging academic experience, it was by far the most fun. After my 1L year, I started treating Duke like a "liberal arts law school," taking a wide array of doctrinal classes, seminars, and clinics, and was better for it. My experiential courses were particularly impactful. By the end of 3L, thanks to my clinic professors, I had already argued before a federal court, drafted several briefs, and worked for a judge. My academic experience was everything I imagined and then some. Collegiality: I've lived and studied in several U.S. states, Jamaica, and Japan, but Duke's student culture was unlike any I've experienced. Duke Law is a smattering of contradictions. It is an academically intense place with a cordial and relaxed social scene. Students are competitive but also generally polite, supportive, and humble. And while there are exceptions to that rule, my experience was that, for the most part, we all got along.

Christian Bale ’21

What are your plans after you graduate? 
After graduation, I will clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Colm Connolly '91 of the District of Delaware and for Judge Kent Jordan on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
 
Have your career interests changed since you began law school? 
I enjoyed legal research and writing much more than I expected. I learned so much in Professor Emily Strauss’s 1L legal writing class, Professor Sarah Baker’s Scholarly Writing Workshop, and Appellate Practice with Professor Sean Andrussier. Writing my student note was (surprisingly) one of my favorite experiences as a student.

Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law?
More than anyone else, Ashley Walker helped me adjust to being a law student and think about my future career. I am so grateful for her kindness and generosity. Professor Stuart Benjamin has also been an invaluable mentor. I had the opportunity to take both Administrative Law and First Amendment with him, and he has been a wonderful faculty advisor for my independent study this semester. I have been lucky to have so many other wonderful teachers who I consider to be mentors—I think that’s probably Duke Law’s defining quality. I should also mention that though I never had a class with Professor Joseph Blocher, he has often shared his time to teach me about publishing legal scholarship and to help me think about my career path. 

Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why?
Sam Speers, Jamie Noel, and Rohit Asirvatham are three classmates I truly admire. I had the chance to work closely with them on the Duke Law Journal and I know firsthand that everything they do is excellent. If you need a lawyer in the future, those three are a few I’d recommend! They are also kind, humble, and wonderful friends. 

What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law?
I will miss the sense of community at Duke. Before COVID, I remember the feeling of walking into the building and feeling at home. For anyone considering coming to Duke, I made my decision because of the school’s reputation of being a top law school where people care about each other. That is absolutely true. I look forward to staying in touch with many great friends and mentors.

Maddy (Sowar) Strahl JD/LLMLE ’21

What are your plans after you graduate? 
I am staying in Raleigh to work at Wyrick Robbins in the Emerging Companies and Licensing and Technology Transactions groups. 

Have your career interests changed since you began law school? 
My career interests have stayed fairly consistent. I still would like to work with life sciences and technology startup companies, and I’ve maintained an interest in intellectual property licensing. I think the biggest change has been my growing interest in business. While I plan to remain well within the legal profession, I greatly enjoyed the courses I took with a business focus. 

Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law?
My most influential mentors at Duke Law are Professors Erika Buell and Casey Thomson. Both professors are excellent role models for female attorneys, and they have been some of my biggest champions in achieving professional and personal goals. I have no doubt that they will continue to be great mentors to me long after I graduate. 

Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why?
I most admire Garmai Gorlorwulu. Garmai has a unique ability to make every conversation insightful, and she does not shy away from deep or difficult discussions. She is a wonderful advocate for herself, her peers, women, and people of color, and I cannot wait to witness her future successes. 

What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law?
I will most miss the open discussion that takes place in the classroom. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to engage in broader conversations on a variety of topics, including governmental policies, innovations in technology and artificial intelligence, and the future of the legal profession. I hope to seek out and create spaces for these conversations to continue throughout my career.

Taisa Brandao Condino LLM'21

What will you be doing after you graduate?
I plan to sit for the NY bar and continue my career as a corporate lawyer in the United States. I'm currently completing interviews, so my plans are not finalized.
 
Have your career plans or interests changed from when you started law school?
I think my career plans are the same in terms of the broad area, which is corporate law. But during the LLM program, I was able to explore areas that I never directly worked with that I’m really interested in pursuing. Among them are venture capital, private equity and working with startups and high-growth companies.

Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law?
This is a hard question, because I don’t think I have just one. My advisor, professor Charles Holton, who helped with my choice of courses and professors, and gave me opportunities to explore different things, such as watching his class as a visitor and supporting the Civil Justice Clinic.

Jabrina Robinson, our career director who was an indispensable resource in my job search and provided me great feedback along the way.

Professor Allen Nelson, who has shown me what the spirit of the supportive Duke alumni is all about, and who has been indispensable in offering guidance and support for my career decisions. And, if I still have space to mention one more person, I would like to refer to Thiago Cunha (LLM’20), who is the alumnus that convinced me that Duke was the best option I could choose, and who was always available to answer big list of questions, from the application process to matters related to the program itself.
 
Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why?
I admire Marcella Rillo. The LLM program itself is already very demanding and challenging, especially for non-English native speakers. Marcella took the hard part of the experience to the next level – she had to do surgery during the program, and she had a baby. I think her determination and resilience to balance all those challenges is so inspirational.

What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law?
Spending time with my friends.
 
How do you think your time at Duke prepared you for the next stage of your career?
I think the program gave me great exposure not just to the American legal system but also in cultural aspects on how things work in the U.S. The things I learned will be essential to the next stage I want to take in my career.
 
What lesson or experience did you have that you feel will help you the most after you graduate?
That being resilient and taking on risks and challenges can truly be worth the reward. I was a bit skeptical about doing the program during COVID-19, but now, I couldn’t be happier I made this decision. I think Duke did an amazing job of prioritizing the students’ well-being, while providing us with an experience that was as close to normalcy as possible. I’m happy I took this risk and did not postpone my life. The experience was totally worth it.

Jaegyu Yoo LLM'21 

What will you be doing after you graduate?
After graduation, I will return to law firm work in Korea. I had a chance to work at a law firm in Washington, D.C., for a few months before returning to Korea. I’m very excited about the new experience.
 
Have your career plans or interests changed from when you started law school?
No, they have not changed. I worked in Korea as an IP lawyer before coming to the LLM program, and I took IP classes at Duke. I will continue working in IP law.
 
Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law?
I am very grateful to the international studies team. Before coming to the LLM program, things had changed from time to time regarding visa issuance because of the pandemic. Suzanne Brown was very helpful for updating and processing relevant information very quickly. I also got a lot of help from Jabrina Robinson in finding a job in the U.S. before returning to Korea.

Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why?
I think James Inn is really great. I know that his first study of law was in the LLM program. It’s a great challenge to pull off this process in a language that’s not his first language, so I support his challenge.

What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law?
I think I will miss everything at Duke. I’m going to miss even the weekly surveillance test. I also had a wonderful time walking the greenway with my family. Sometimes, we would meet deer family on the trail, and my children loved it. The impression I had of the national park that I visited with my family over winter break was unforgettable. I wanted to hear the organ music at Duke Chapel, but I’m sorry I couldn’t because of the pandemic.
 
How do you think your time at Duke prepared you for the next stage of your career?
When I worked in Korea, I had some cases where I had to review the laws and rulings related to IP law in the United States, so I think my experience at Duke will be of great help to my work in the future. I also think what I learned while researching various sources and writing memos and what I learned during class discussions will be of great help to my work in the future.
 
What lesson or experience did you have that you feel will help you the most after you graduate?
Negotiating one-on-one in negotiating class was difficult for me at first. Studying various cases and license agreements in the IP transaction class also helped me a lot. I expect this experience to be of great help to my work.

Gerardo Parraga ’21

What are your plans after you graduate? 
I will be working for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City. Excited to come back as a Trustee of the University in the fall, though! 

Have your career interests changed since you began law school? 
Since coming to law school, I have been exposed to parts of the law that I was not aware of before. I will be doing transactional work in New York but look forward to doing a lot of pro bono work with a special focus on immigration law. 

Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law? 
I have so many people to thank, but Jennifer Caplan, Professors Sarah Baker and Marin Levy were especially influential in my time at Duke Law. 

Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why? 
It is impossible to answer this because I admire different people for different reasons. That said, I have always been impressed by my classmates who are also parents, their ability to truly do it all is quite special. I also really admire the collective response of my class to COVID. I think we handled the situation as gracefully as possible! 

What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law? 
The everyday interactions with staff, faculty, and my classmates. Duke has done many things for me, but the people have always been the most special part.
 

Ada Lin ’21

What are your plans after you graduate?
After graduation, I will be joining Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts as a Bart J. Gordon Legal Fellow funded by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation. My project will focus on helping incarcerated individuals who are terminally ill or permanently incapacitated seek release under the state compassionate release (“medical parole”) statute. I hope to pursue direct representation and system litigation, and to build on PLS’ existing partnerships in the medical, public health, and social work communities to ensure that all those eligible for relief can access the compassionate release process.

Have your career interests changed since you began law school?
I came into law school with a background in civil rights law, particularly in prison conditions litigation, police misconduct, and employment discrimination. I always knew I wanted to return to this work, with a focus on issues at the intersection of racial justice and incarceration. I spent the summer after 1L at the ACLU of Maryland working on immigration detention and police misconduct litigation, which really solidified my interest in this area of law.

During my 2L fall, I took Sentencing and Punishment, taught by Judge James Dever and Professor Art Beeler, and ended up writing a research paper on the growing number of aging prisoners and the likely rise of age-related cognitive impairments in the prison population. I had encountered a growing number of clients with conditions like dementia at the ACLU National Prison Project, where I worked prior to law school. These individuals required a complex level of medical care that jails and prisons were not equipped to provide. And correctional officers’ lack of training in geriatrics care meant that symptoms of dementia — like wandering and acting out — often landed patients in solitary confinement, which hastened their deterioration.

The research paper helped me build a body of knowledge around this issue and to better understand the medical literature around age-related cognitive decline, all of which is really alarming. It’s estimated that by 2030, a third of the American prison population will be over the age of 50. And in the last two decades, the number of incarcerated individuals older than 55 grew by 500%. These are pressing issues that we need to address now. That spring, the Health Justice Clinic gave me a chance to see how lawyers can collaborate with medical and public health professionals on advocacy. I came out of those experiences with a commitment to work on the problems posed by the aging in the carceral system, which is what led to my current project on compassionate release.

Who were your most influential mentors at Duke Law?
Stella Boswell and Bethan Eynon are the Gandalfs of the public interest community at Duke Law. They worked so hard to build up the public interest and pro bono program, and to help us build a career around the things we care about.

Professor Allison Rice and Hannah Demeritt, who run the Health Justice Clinic, were supportive and hands-on clinic supervisors, and are also just wonderful people. We went remote partway through the semester and they quickly shifted clinic operations to make sure we could still serve clients and that we were addressing client concerns related to COVID-19.
 
Of your classmates, whom do you admire most and why?
Juliet Park, class of 2020, immediately comes to mind. I gave birth to my daughter in the fall of 2L and Juliet, who has a toddler, was there for me as I navigated school, caring for a newborn, and then the pandemic. She spent so much of her free time supporting pro bono work and mentoring public interest students – we’re all really lucky to have had her friendship and mentorship.  

What will you miss most about your time at Duke Law?
I’m going to miss some of the wonderful faculty and incredibly kind administrative staff. I took a few classes with faculty who were uniquely dedicated to connecting with and supporting students. Legal History of the Civil Rights Movement with Professor Timothy Lovelace was hugely influential for me because it helped me understand the historical origins of movement- and community-based lawyering today. Professor Darrell Miller’s Civil Rights Litigation course provided me with a lot of the practical skills I’ll need in my career going forward. Brandon Garrett was my faculty mentor for an independent study on compassionate release and was so encouraging and supportive of my project.

Everyday kindnesses really make a difference, and I encountered a lot of kind people at the law school. Meredith Chilausky in the records office, John Ahlers in Financial Aid, and Wesley Rhodes in Student Affairs come to mind as exceptionally warm people who always made time for students.

For more coverage of the Class of 2021 and their graduation, please view our special celebration page.