On July 31, The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) graduated another group of talented law students from the Legal Studies Institute (LSI). LSI students participate in hands-on legal internships, receive housing and are assigned a mentor through the successful attorney mentor program.
Washington area lawyers serve as mentors, providing students with career and networking advice, and tips on living and working in the D.C. area. The program is the start of many strong relationships, and several mentors attended the commencement ceremony.
The 29 graduates of the LSI class of 2013 came to TFAS from 22 different law schools across the United States. One of these students, Melissa Buterbaugh (LSI 2013) from Rutgers School of Law in Camden, New Jersey, had the opportunity to address her fellow students at the commencement ceremony.
Buterbaugh chose to give the graduates some words of advice from our nation’s founding fathers. “It is wonderful,” said Buterbaugh in the words of Thomas Jefferson, “how much may be done if we are always doing.”
Throughout the summer, Buterbaugh and her classmates were certainly always doing. They heard from prominent speakers such as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Judge Douglas Ginsburg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Professor Randy Barnett, architect of the legal challenge to Obamacare.
Professor Barnett was also instrumental in one of the most exciting developments for this year’s Legal Studies Institute – accreditation by Georgetown University Law Center. LSI students now have the option of receiving course credit from Georgetown for their coursework during the summer.
The keynote speaker for the graduation ceremony was former Attorney General Edwin Meese, III. Mr. Meese spoke about the legal profession and the responsibilities and obligations attorneys have to discharge their duties ethically.
The ceremony concluded with remarks from TFAS Chairman Randal C. Teague, after which there was a reception where students, their families, mentors and internship sponsors were able to meet Meese and share stories of their summer experiences.
We are very proud to welcome our 2013 LSI graduates to the TFAS alumni family!