Andy Meehan Was Ironman Competitor And He Has Participated In Two Ironman Races. He Is 3L At University Of Wisconsin Law School In Madison. For Some Students With The Same Ideological Or Cultural Backgrounds Special Interest Student Associations Is The Safety Net.

1. STUDENT PROFILE www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
Andy Meehan: Ironman Competitor and 3L at University
of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, WI
[By Heather Jung]
What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the Ironman competition? Most people probably think of
grueling hours spent running, swimming, and bicycling. But what about grueling hours spent studying and writing? In Andy
Meehan’s case, both situations apply; he is both an Ironman competitor and a 3L at University of Wisconsin Law School.
Meehan has participated in two Ironman races, conducting intelligence and antiterrorism
which are triathlons consisting of 2.4-mile operations. While overseas, most of my job
swims, 112-mile bike rides, and runs of 26.2 entailed working with foreign police and
miles. While he said that he has not won any of intelligence services in an effort to prevent
the races, he has done well enough to qualify terrorist attacks before they occurred. I’d like
for the world championships, which take place to go into more detail, but if I told you anything
in Hawaii. more, I’d have to kill you. No, seriously.” Meehan said that it was his time and
experiences in the military that made him want
He has also participated in several other to become a lawyer.
Q. What do you do for fun?
triathlon competitions, and last year, Meehan A. I travel as much as possible. Over
was named an “All-American” by USA winter break, my girlfriend (who is also a “Everything I did had to be first cleared with
Triathlon, which he said is the governing body 3L) and I managed to get to New Zealand the lawyers, and eventually I decided it would
of triathlon competitions. He said that training for three weeks. For spring break, we did be a lot more fun to be the one determining the
takes quite a bit of time-about 20 hours a road trip to Shenandoah National Park decisions of the box rather than the guy forced
per week usually consisting of five miles of and hiked on the Appalachian Trail. When
to operate within it,” he said.
swimming, 200 miles of cycling, and 50 miles I’m not traveling, I’m usually trying to plan
the next trip.
of running. It is this out-of-the-box thinking and way of
Q. What CD is in your CD player right now? life that Meehan enjoys most about law school.
“But I find that not only does my training make A. Southern Rock Opera by the Drive-By He said that it is an ongoing exercise and that
me feel better, but it also helps me focus Truckers. even if things are “settled,” there is still room
during the rest of my day,” Meehan said. “I’m for arguments “that might justify a position
hoping it’s something I can continue to do for a Q. What is the last magazine you read?
that would otherwise be unsustainable.” He
long time to come.” A. National Geographic.
enjoys the fact that the law commands that
Q. What is your favorite TV show? “unpopular or repugnant” causes be defended
Prior to attending law school, Meehan received the same way more popular or righteous
A. I’d have to put The Office at the top of
his B.S. in Mathematics from the United States the list, although I’ve resigned myself to causes are.
Air Force Academy in 1996 and his master’s in the idea that I never seem to be around
public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School to watch it. The one show I watch fairly During the summer after his first year (and
of Government in 1998. After graduating from religiously is The Daily Show. for part of his second year), Meehan interned
college, he spent eight years as an officer in with the Wisconsin Innocence Project, which
Q. Who is your role model?
the Air Force. he described as, by far, the best academic
A. My parents.
experience he has ever had. The Wisconsin
“I was stationed all over the country and did Q. What is something most people don’t Innocence Project is one of the criminal law
two tours in the Middle East,” Meehan said. “I know about you? clinics available to law students at his school.
commanded a unit of special agents who were A. I’ve been a lifelong fan of professional While the cases are generally overseen by
responsible both for investigating felonies wrestling. faculty members, the students take the most
committed by military personnel as well as ownership-they screen the potential cases,
PAGE continued on back

2. STUDENT PROFILE www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
conduct investigations, and argue on behalf of academic interests or public service, are have been his peers. Because of the school’s
clients in court. “great supplements to legal education.” intellectual, ideological, and cultural diversity,
he said, he has been exposed to “more
interesting people and worldviews in the
past three years than I was in my previous 30
combined.”
Meehan will graduate in May. After graduation,
he plans to practice at Boardman Law Firm in
Madison, WI. He hopes to eventually get into
“Not only is it a tremendously important cause, “I have to admit, though, that I am much politics.
but the learning curve becomes exponentially more doubtful of the benefits of special-
steeper once the one seeking answers is interest student associations. While it might On the Net
a client sitting across the table (or on the be comforting to some students to have the
other side of the bars) from you rather than a safety net of an organization of students with University of Wisconsin Law School
professor standing behind a podium,” Meehan the same ideological or cultural backgrounds, law.wisc.edu
said. I also think that students who don’t make an
effort to interact outside of class with people Boardman Law Firm
During his time at law school, Meehan has who aren’t like themselves are missing a www.boardmanlawfirm.com
participated in several student organizations, tremendous opportunity,” said Meehan.
most notably the Wisconsin Law Review Wisconsin Innocence Project
and Phi Alpha Delta. He feels that student He feels that the people who have influenced law.wisc.edu/fjr/innocence
organizations, especially groups geared toward him the most during his time at law school
PAGE