Damon Thayer and Mahmoud Fadlallah, University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN. He is a president of the Law Council at the University of Minnesota Law School.

1. STUDENT PROFILE www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
Damon Thayer and Mahmoud Fadlallah: University of
Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN
[By Charisse Dengler]
Both Damon Thayer and Mahmoud Fadlallah think being involved in student organizations is important to the overall law
school experience.
Thayer, who is in his third year at the “I oversee all student organizations and, to a volunteers to work in legal aid clinics in
University of Minnesota Law School, is lesser extent, law students,” Thayer said. “I Florida and Texas.
currently the President of the Law Council oversee the distributing of money to student
at the University of Minnesota Law School. organizations to fund activities and speakers, Since it’s an organization open only to 1Ls,
He said his favorite part of studying the law appointment of students to the various the group will be electing another president
is “learning how to view the world from the committees of the law school, organization soon.
Ivory Tower.” of our orientation activities, organization of
our annual ‘Malpractice Ball,’ and any other “I knew that I needed to do some
Thayer first decided to go to law school matters that come before us.” extracurricular activity to maintain my
because he wasn’t ready to enter the sanity through my first year of law school,”
“real world.” Now he is looking forward Thayer said he ran for a representative Fadlallah said. “I also wanted to do volunteer
to graduating and working in St. Louis in position on the council after hearing about work to assist people that need help. I found
the area of commercial litigation. So far, what a rewarding experience it was. that ALP embodied these two goals in one
constitutional law has been his favorite form—where on the one hand I was gaining
course. “It is a great way to stay balanced, meet practical, extracurricular, real-life legal
new people, take on a leadership role, and experience, and on the other hand I was
“Constitutional law is my favorite course
network with others,” he said. helping those in need.”
because it is a consistent source of
entertainment,” he said. “Judges do
Fadlallah, a 2L at the University of Minnesota This past summer, Fadlallah interned at
whatever they want without regard to that
Law School, decided on law school after Honeywell International, Inc., in St. Louis
silly concept that most of us refer to as ‘the
going through a process of elimination. Park, Minnesota. While assisting the legal
law.’”
department, he gained experience in contract
“In the beginning, I was opposed to pursuing review work and also got to be a part of an
During his three years in law school, Thayer
a career in virtually every other field, and international litigation.
has interned at a small law office, the public
law was just the leftover,” Fadlallah said.
defender’s office, a state trial court judge’s
“After studying it and observing it operate “I enjoyed the experience very much,” he
office, and Bryan Cave, LLP, where he
in society, I truly developed a passion for said. “As the only legal intern, and the first
realized he enjoyed commercial litigation.
it. Although many [...] warned me that the that Honeywell has hired in awhile, one can
fire for this passion [would] die after the imagine how excited the general counsels
“Bryan Cave is a large law firm
first year of law school, three weeks into my of the various businesses were to have an
headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri,” he
second year it is still burning.” intern on board. I found that the people with
said. “The firm interviewed me through our
whom I worked—attorneys and others—were
On-Campus Interview (OCI) program. The
During his 1L year, Fadlallah served as very intelligent and a joy to be around.
experience was amazing, the perfect mix of
president of the school’s Asylum Law Project Additionally, the work that I received was
substantive work and fun activities.”
(ALP), an organization “aimed at providing interesting and diverse.”
As President of the Law Council, Thayer legal aid to victims of political or religious
describes the council’s purpose as persecution seeking asylum in the United Fadlallah hopes to get an internship at a law
representing the views of the school’s law States.” The organization raises money firm for the coming summer, so that by his
students and taking action accordingly. through various events and sends first-year 3L year, he will have gained a wide variety
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2. STUDENT PROFILE www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
of experiences and will be able to decide background and experiences. I also feel ON THE NET
exactly what he wants to do with his law like this world is becoming increasingly
degree. globalized and [that] the importance of this University of Minnesota Law School
field is only growing stronger.” www.law.umn.edu
“Deciding what I am most interested in is
an ongoing process, and for me, it simply When asked what his favorite law school University of Minnesota Law Council
involves gaining as much experience as memory is so far, Fadlallah said he’s living it. www.tc.umn.edu/cgi-bin/
a law student can in as many fields as do?user=lcouncilprog=SO.pl
possible,” he said. “Until now, I have enjoyed “Seeing the new 1Ls matriculate and begin
everything except family law and criminal classes has allowed me to reflect upon this Bryan Cave, LLP
law. International fields of study have always past year and see how much I have truly www.bryancave.com
interested me, primarily because of my grown,” he said.
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