Unusual careers help many to thrive at UVa law school

Before entering the University of Virginia’s School of Law last fall, Leo Wolpert spent his days and nights playing poker.

Wolpert, now 26, left a computer science graduate program in 2006 and turned to one of his favorite pastimes full-time. When he wasn’t playing online poker, Wolpert “goofed off” by reading Supreme Court opinions.

“A lot of the stuff I disagreed with, especially in criminal justice cases,” Wolpert said. “Law school was the only chance I had of remedying that.”

While many of the students entering law school previously worked as teachers, nurses or paralegals, some had more unusual careers that can help shape their law studies. The current first-year law class includes a competitive rifle shooter who wants to go to the Olympics, a woman who helped to develop a women’s center for a rural mountain community and an associate professor of philosophy.

Jason Wu Trujillo, senior assistant dean for admissions and financial aid, said a pre-law school career can help a candidate stand out.

“People with work experience bring an extra dimension to their application,” Trujillo said. “It can make them somewhat more competitive in the law school admissions process.”

According to the first-year class profile, 62 percent of students didn’t immediately enter law school after getting an undergraduate degree. The recently released data show students spent an average of two years out of school before entering the law school.

Before law school, Brian Vanyo was a flight officer in the Navy.

“I just thought it would be a neat experience,” Vanyo said of his flying career. “The rush of flying a fighter aircraft was one aspect of it. I wanted to do something fun while I was young.”

Vanyo, now 34 and in his third year of law school, was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq while flying for the Navy between 2001 and 2004. The pilot finished his Navy commitment in naval intelligence as an air defense analyst.

His time in the military has given Vanyo a different viewpoint on some of his courses, such as international security law.

“I think it has added perspective that helps,” Vanyo said. “If you don’t know how the military or intelligence works, I would expect that it might be a little hard to understand how the law might actually apply in operation.”

Wolpert’s poker career also has helped him in law school.

He said the 16-hour days spent at a poker table have taught him how to stay in one place and focus for long periods.

The adversarial nature of poker fits together well with the law, Wolpert said, as both require a competitive streak.

Computer science education also has helped Wolpert in law. He recently completed an internship at the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, where he wrote memos and drafted motions. Wolpert said his experience writing programs helped him put together clear, organized legal documents.

“With large projects, you start with a plan and create program modules you can put together,” Wolpert said. “With a long piece of legal writing, you need to organize it and lay it out before you write it.”

Wolpert took home about $300,000 from one of three poker tournaments he played this summer in Las Vegas. He continues to play online and plan for future tournaments during school breaks.

Although the former pro has raked in some good wins, Wolpert said he is not a very good poker player.

“I have a low opinion of my game,” Wolpert said. “It gives me a chance to motivate myself.”