Jared Magnuson (JD '18)

Hometown? 
Lawrenceville, GA

Where is your undergraduate degree from? 
University of Georgia (B.A. in Political Science and B.A. in Criminal Justice)

Are you first in your family to attend law school? 
Yes.

Why did you choose to attend law school?
Through my law focused classes in college, I realized that I enjoyed reading and writing about the law. I also worked with the student chapter of the International Justice Mission (an international human rights organization that combats injustices such as modern day slavery), and through that organization, I saw the impact and difference that an attorney can make in the lives of other people. I decided to go to law school to learn to be an advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves and use my writing and oral advocacy skills to help others, whether it be an individual, business, non-profit, or other client in need of representation.

How has the Law School Fund made a difference in allowing you to attend law school?
This scholarship was a true blessing that allowed my wife and me to be able to better afford law school without having to take out more loans to finance my legal education. This scholarship has allowed me to continue my studies at UGA Law, and I know that without it, I would not have had so many great opportunities over the past three years. By allowing me to continue my education at UGA, this scholarship has given me the opportunity to be a part of activities like the UGA Moot Court team, Appellate Litigation Clinic, the Georgia Law Review, and it has opened doors for my future legal career, including the opportunities to clerk for Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District of Georgia and Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson of the D.C. Circuit over the next two years before returning to work for the law firm of Jones Day in Atlanta.

What clinics or other experiential learning opportunities have you participated in?
When I was involved with Moot Court, I was a member of the William C. Vis International Arbitration Competition team and we placed second in our competition in San Diego. I was also a member of the Hulsey-Gambrell Moot Court Competition Team where I competed with my partner in Jacksonville, Florida, against the University of Florida School of Law. 

I also worked with the Appellate Litigation Clinic where I wrote four briefs on behalf of two indigent clients to the Eleventh Circuit and was one of the Notes Editors on the Managing Board for the Georgia Law Review.

Where have you spent your summers? (2L and 3L)
I interned at U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, White Collar Crime Division in the summer of 2016 and was the Summer Associate at Jones Day in Atlanta in the summer of 2017.

Did you have a favorite class and/or professor?
My favorite class in law school was a special week-long course with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the fall of my 2L year. Justice Thomas led a discussion of stare decisis for our class of 20 students. We had quite a bit of reading assigned, five short papers, and a presentation, but it was all worth it.

It's difficult to pick a favorite professor because all of the faculty at UGA Law are excellent, and I enjoyed every professor that I had in law school. But, two professors who have specifically made a great impact on me in my law school career are Professor Conner and Professor Burch. Professor Conner was my Legal Research and Writing Professor during my 1L year, and he helped me greatly improve my legal writing skills. I also had the pleasure of taking his Internal Investigations course, which allowed me to put those writing skills to practice in the corporate context. Professor Burch was my professor for the Appellate Advocacy Course and he is the director of the Appellate Litigation clinic at UGA Law. Professor Burch helped me continue to refine and improve my legal writing skills and taught me how to be a better oral advocate in the courtroom, through his class and my involvement in the clinic. Both Professor Conner and Professor Burch also took time out of their busy schedules to advise me on career decisions, job applications, and many other things. I am very grateful to have had their continued instruction, advice, and mentorship while in law school.

Best experience or memory of law school?
It's a tie between two things. First, as previously mentioned, I had the incredible opportunity to take a week-long course with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the fall of my 2L year. It was such a great experience to learn from and speak with a sitting Supreme Court Justice over the course of a week, and I know that experience was invaluable for my legal education and future career as an attorney. Second, I had the opportunity to travel with three of my closest friends to Vienna, Austria, in the spring of my 2L year as part of the William C. Vis International Arbitration Competition, as previously mentioned. In this competition we represented the University of Georgia against 300 other law schools from around the world. The competition was an incredible amount of work, but having the opportunity to compete against schools from Greece, Columbia, Kosovo, and Russia will be an experience that I will never forget and that I hope will make me a better litigator in the future.