In This Story
Ethan Thomas’ success story is one that many Schar School students hope to replicate. Since graduating in May 2024 with a BA in government and international politics, he took a position as a law clerk at Whitestone Young, a criminal defense firm located in the Fairfax, Virginia, area.
He also continues to stay connected to the Schar School and the George Mason University community, working part time as an admissions representative in George Mason's Admissions Office.
Hailing from Elmhurst, Illinois, Thomas first developed his passion for government and law around the contentious 2016 election. He set his sights on the East Coast, and consequently George Mason as a hub for government and legal experiences. He immediately dove in, taking advantage of the Washington, D.C., metro area’s resources, culminating in an internship at the district office of U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL), and another in the office of Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) on Capitol Hill.
Thomas credits Schar School professors, including Assistant Professor Phillip Mink and Associate Professor Jennifer N. Victor, for having a profound impact on his journey while at George Mason.
One of his favorite classes was the legal writing course taught by Mink, the faculty advisor for the Schar School's Patriot Pre-Law Program. In the class, Thomas was able to fine-tune his personal statement for law school, getting feedback from both Mink and his peers.
“We really honed those legal writing skills that often a lot of students don’t learn until they’re in law school,” he said.
The legal writing skills are uniquely developed through assignments designed to analyze real world examples and the principles they use to improve students’ writing.
Another valuable experience took place in Associate Professor Victor’s lab as part of the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) where students work alongside their professor on valuable research projects. Thomas worked with Victor on congressional caucus research in the second semester of his freshman year, showing his enthusiasm for immersing himself in Schar School opportunities. He proceeded to engage in the lab for the rest of his time at George Mason, forming a strong professional relationship with Victor, who then advised him on the data regression portion of his senior project, “The Impact of Court Rulings on Legislative Activity.”
Having graduated, Thomas is preparing for the LSAT as well as applying to law schools. In the process, he has found that the community he built with professors and other legal professionals at the Schar School helps support him in his future endeavors.
“Having professors and others who have been in law school provide that reaffirming support and tells me that ‘hey you’re going to be an amazing lawyer’ can really help get you over that struggle sometimes,” he said.