For this edition of Texas Law’s Student Spotlight series, meet 2L William Zakhary, Society Coordinator for the Martinez Society!
Q: So William, why did you choose Texas Law for your degree?
When I came onto UT’s campus as a Freshman in 2014, Texas Law seemed like an impossible goal that would never be within my reach. Over my four years as an undergrad, I had brief opportunities to interact with the law school and even came over to study a few times. (Yes, I was one of those annoying undergrads in Tarlton.) While I was initially attracted by the unmatched opportunity Texas Law offers its students across the legal profession, what hooked me was my love for the University as an undergrad and my desire to earn the privileged title of double Longhorn. Moreover, Texas Law has one of the country’s strongest legal alumni networks; I will never forget the first time I stepped into the Alumni Center and counted the many names of honored graduates of Texas Law. I’m grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to join that list one day. Texas Law is and will remain one of the country’s strongest public law schools, and I’m sure that my time spent here will direct the rest of my life.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your role as Society Coordinator?
Dean’s Fellows and Society Coordinators have a unique task of being a 1L’s first upperclassman friend at Texas Law. A law student’s first year is certainly the most formative of the three, and habits and attitudes formed during this time last an entire career. As a Society Coordinator, I’ve aspired to be a friendly face that students can engage with while in the Society Program office. For the Martinez Society, I’ve facilitated collegial, fun opportunities for my 1L’s to make friends and to start building their professional legal network. Most importantly, I hope that I’ve demonstrated one of the many ways a law student can be successful at Texas Law.
Q: What has been your favorite law school class so far?
I’ve had a lot of great professors, but Professor Susan Morse’s Financial Methods for Lawyers course has been my favorite. Apart from Professor Morse’s energy and dedication to the classroom, I’ve found the information really pertinent to my future career as a transactional attorney. Even coming with a business background, her class has helped me to rethink many concepts I’d learned as an undergraduate in the context of a client-facing legal professional.