Think beyond

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Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Philadelphia

Q. What kind of law do you practice?
A. My practice focuses on complex commercial litigation in a variety of substantive areas, as well as IT-related transactions and business counseling. I also chair my firm’s Information Technology Litigation Practice Group and am a member of its Technology Transactions Group.

Q. What part did your economics degree play in your success?
A. Drew’s economics program is broad in scope and opportunity. I continually find my economics training valuable in my legal career, especially since the field of economics informs many of the principles and doctrines that shape the law. Also, economic principles explain most, if not all, of the business methods employed by my clients, which helps me better understand and be of service to them. For these reasons, among others, I regard the economics training I received at Drew as giving me a competitive advantage in achieving my goals. 

Q. What about your overall academic experience at Drew?
A. At Drew, I developed discipline, self-reliance and confidence while pursuing academics and athletics; these qualities continue to serve me well. And the liberal arts curriculum helped make me a well-rounded person.

Q. Back to economics: Please tell about your honors thesis.
A. My thesis dealt with the economics of resale price maintenance. The project required me to analyze and draw conclusions about a significant body of complicated economics literature, and to formulate and advocate a thesis relevant to that body of literature. The experience was important to me because of the difficulty and intensity of the effort required, as well as the fact that I was able to persevere. Completing the process successfully was a confidence builder for law school and beyond.

Q. Did you benefit from faculty support during this time?
A. I always found the economics faculty to be particularly welcoming and inclusive as I progressed with my economics major, culminating in their valuable support and assistance with my honors thesis. But Drew’s commitment to excellence in teaching is uniform across all of the departments. 

Q. You mentioned being an athlete at Drew. During your senior year, you were selected as a GTE Academic All-American. How did you find being a scholar–athlete?
A. It was my favorite experience during my time at Drew. I was a four-year member of the varsity tennis team while I maintained my economics studies, and I tried very hard to be both a serious athlete and a serious scholar. I remain proud of the Academic All-American distinction. 

Q. I think you’ve earned it! Do you have any advice for budding economics majors?
A. If you apply yourself over the course of your four years, Drew will give you all of the tools you need to succeed at whatever you choose to pursue afterward.