Name: David T. "Ty" Adams
Age: 28
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Expected graduation year: 2016
Georgia Law achievements and awards: 2016 ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition: Philadelphia Regional - Winning Team, Best Oralist Award; Joseph Henry Lumpkin American Inn of Court; Note, "Laissez Fair: The Case for Alternative Litigation Funding and Assignment of Lawsuit Proceeds in Georgia," 49 Georgia Law Review 1121 (2015)
Georgia Law extracurricular activities: Georgia Law Review; Moot Court; Corsair Law Society; Student Academic Affairs Committee; Student Bar Association
Undergraduate university / degree(s) / year(s): University of Notre Dame / B.A. / 2011
1. What did you do before attending law school?
After graduating from college, I moved to Chicago and spent two years working for a consulting firm. The firm largely specialized in providing financial services consulting; thus, much of what I worked on involved business process improvement, risk mitigation, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and internal audit. As a political science major, this was all pretty foreign to me (to say that there was a bit of a learning curve would be an understatement). But I'm very grateful that the company gave me a chance and I certainly came away from those two years with a greater appreciation of the many moving parts that comprise a successful corporation.
2. Why did you choose to attend the University of Georgia School of Law?
My older sister, Courtney, lived in Atlanta and encouraged me to look at the University of Georgia School of Law. What I loved most about my undergraduate experience was the collegiality and school spirit. Courtney said I would find those qualities at Georgia Law (she was correct). I visited Athens in the spring of 2013 and had the good fortune of touring the law school with Dean Paul Kurtz as my guide. In just a couple of hours, I got a sense of Dean Kurtz's passion for and love of this school, and that made a compelling impression on me. After the visit, Georgia Law just felt "right" and I've had that feeling ever since.
3. What inspired you to become a lawyer?
My father is a lawyer and I think it's natural for a son to develop an admiration for his father's passions. That was certainly true for me, so it's fair to say that from a young age I had an interest in becoming a lawyer. My father always expressed a sincere respect for the law as a profession, and I think he did - and still does - get great satisfaction from being a part of that profession. But it wasn't until after college that I began to more fully understand and appreciate that and want it for myself. And probably more than anything, I missed taking part in competition. I was an athlete growing up and I have always been drawn to the adversarial nature of the law - particularly litigation. For better or for worse, I find the adversarial aspect of representing a client or a cause to be energizing (and frankly, fun).
4. What are your plans after graduation?
I am going to work for Jones Day in Atlanta following graduation and then will be clerking for the Honorable Federico Moreno of the Southern District of Florida for a year beginning in September 2017.
5. Who is your favorite Georgia Law professor? Why?
It's hard to pick a "favorite" - I've had great professors. I can say without a doubt that Professor Erica Hashimoto has had the greatest influence on me of any professor I've had in law school or undergrad. Jonathan Stuart and I worked as a team with Professor Hashimoto in the Appellate Litigation Clinic this entire year, so to begin with, I owe her a lot of gratitude just for putting up with me on a daily basis! During the past year, she has challenged me not only to become a better writer and advocate, but also to reconsider the kind of lawyer I want to become and the type of impact I want to make. In many respects, she has challenged me to reevaluate my worldview - I'm very grateful for that.
6. Thus far, what is your most memorable experience from your time at Georgia Law?
My most memorable experience in law school is the trip to Philadelphia with Professor Thomas Burch and the two moot court teams from Georgia Law that competed in the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition. Professor Burch is a "foodie" (I'm not sure if he would assume that title, but to me and my rather unsophisticated palate, he's definitely a "foodie"), so he picked some adventurous restaurants that I would not ordinarily frequent. And I was with a really fun, smart group of people who made all the work leading up to the competition well worth it. I laughed so much on that trip; the week I spent with that group in Philadelphia was particularly memorable.
7. What are some activities/clubs/clinics you are involved in at the law school?
During my 1L and 2L years, I was active in Student Bar Association leadership. I am a member of the Georgia Law Review and served as a 2014-15 editorial board member and a 2015-16 managing board articles editor. I am also on Georgia Law's moot court team and have competed in the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition the last two years. Most recently, I became involved in a new initiative at the law school called the Corsair Law Society.
8. What do you enjoy most about law school?
I don't know that I could point to any single aspect of law school and say: "That's my favorite." Law school has been rewarding on many levels, but I think what I appreciate most about it is that it provided me with an opportunity to engage academically in a way that, for a number of reasons, I did not engage during undergrad. I loved my four years at Notre Dame, and I loved my four years as a member of Notre Dame's baseball team. But due to the time constraints involved with playing a sport in college and because, quite frankly, I didn't fully appreciate the opportunities at my fingertips, I know I missed out on some unique educational experiences. I have really enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone academically in law school. So while I wouldn't change my undergraduate experience for the world, I'm very grateful that I got another "bite at the apple," so to speak.
9. If you could share an afternoon with anyone, with whom would you choose to spend it?
If I could spend an afternoon with anyone I know, I'd choose to spend it with my best friends from college. We get together once or twice a year and I always end up with 100 new stories, no voice and a stomach that hurts from laughing. So I can't turn down a chance to spend an afternoon with those friends.
But if we're suspending reality, I'd like to spend the afternoon playing a friendly game of pick-up basketball at "the highest court in the land" with all eight justices of the United States Supreme Court. Ideally, we could get a ninth justice to make the game an even five-on-five, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon.
10. Where is your favorite place to study? Why?
I always study in the same place: library annex, top floor, first table near the stairs. I don't know when this ritual started but it's a function of several things.
First, I belong in the annex because, unfortunately, I'm just really not an exciting person to study with! I don't talk when I study and I get easily distracted, so I try not to study in places where other people might be talking ... it's kind of ridiculous. The top floor of the annex is about as quiet and secluded an environment as there could ever be, so it suits my curmudgeonly criteria.
Second, the library is generally freezing. So, since heat rises, I guess I've just convinced myself that the top-floor nook in the annex must be the warmest spot. But I have nothing empirical to support this.
11. What are a few things you always have to have with you when you study?
I always study with: (1) headphones, (2) three pens (red, blue and black) and (3) a yellow highlighter.
12. What do you do to handle the stress of law school?
I either go for a run or watch a show on Netflix to unwind.
13. What is your favorite place on campus? Why?
My favorite place on campus is the Founders Garden. When I'm out for a run, I generally try to end there and then take a brief walk through the garden. It's always so quiet and calming.