From literature to law

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From literature to law

"The reading, writing, and research skills I learned at UC have proven invaluable to me as a law student."

A Q&A with Sean Feener '14, discussing his time as an English major at Utica College and life in Law School.

Q: Do you feel the English major prepared you for the rigor of law school at Boston College?

A: Definitely. The reading, writing, and research skills I learned at UC have proven invaluable to me as a law student. Whether I'm crafting an oral argument or writing an advocacy memo, my professors at UC gave me the tools I need to not only find the right answers, but to express them clearly and effectively, both aloud and on the page. Reading, speaking, and writing are absolutely essential to my current studies.

Q: I believe you are not only going to school, but are also putting into practice what you learn through internship experiences. Can you tell us about your latest internship?

A: Sure thing. For my internship this summer, I worked with an administrative law judge at the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals. I got to draft rulings and decisions, observe hearings and mediations, and also research a number of cases.

A lot of my cases were very fact-specific, and as a result I really had to delve deeply into the parties' stories and their actual lived experiences in order to decide how to rule as a matter of law. In that way, my background in English, which taught me how to experience the world from perspectives different from my own, helped me to evaluate arguments on both sides of an issue and do my best to effectuate equitable results.

Q: So your job was to listen to a client’s narrative and then weigh it against or corroborate it with facts that you researched or observed. That’s wonderful. I can easily see where your early passion for reading and writing has led you to pursue law. I’m curious, were there also challenges you experienced as you transitioned from being an undergraduate student to being a law student?

A: I think the biggest change from undergrad to law school, for me, was the difference in how my work as a student was evaluated. Most of my grades are now based entirely on a single cumulative final exam. It is up to me to keep up with the course material. This is completely different from my experiences at UC, where I would have a number of smaller assignments, tests, or papers that would determine my overall performance and final grade.

Q: Yes, that’s very common of many graduate programs, even those in English. Did you feel prepared for that kind of intensive, independent study?

A: I actually think the skills of self-scrutiny that I learned as an English major have really come handy here. In much the same way that I learned to revise a paper over and over in order to get it exactly right, I have to constantly self-critique my progress in law school. And I do need to learn the course material fully – not only for class, but also for my future as a lawyer, so there is constant self-evaluation.

Q: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat today, Sean; I only have one more question. What do you miss most about Utica College?

A: I'd definitely have to say the people. The English department fostered a great community in which to learn; the environment was collegial, and collaborative, and inclusive of all voices. I knew I was learning from great professors, alongside great friends, in a place where I was respected as both a student and as a person.

From literature to law

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