The Article Gives Information About David Thompson The Stanford Law School Graduate And His Work In Community Legal Services And About His Study Of Law As Well As His Profile And Other Activities.

1. STUDENT PROFILE www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
David Thompson: Recent Stanford Law School Graduate
[By Heather Jung]
“When I was little, my dad and I played a game of debating hard questions when we had long car trips together,” David
Thompson said. “It was our way of spending quality time and for him to pass the time while driving. I kept playing that game
long after the car trips ended and, sure enough, eventually found myself enrolled in law school.”
Thompson, who recently completed his admires for his passion for the law and prior to school memorizing each and every
law school career at Stanford, said his teaching, as well as his devotion to his one of our names and faces. His passion
favorite aspect of studying law is the family. for teaching was incredible; he let students
ability to “debate the hard questions work through each and every Socratic
with incredibly intelligent people who “He showed up on the first day in an problem without telling the answer but
come from wildly diverse perspectives, impeccable suit and his trademark bowtie. gently guided discussion so that we heard
philosophies, and political backgrounds.” He immediately began addressing students and appreciated all sides. On a daily basis,
He feels that Stanford allowed him to by their last names, having spent the week he would do things like leaping on top of a
dialogue, respectfully, with people holding podium to demonstrate a point of contract
varying views. Q. What do you do for fun? law or wearing a Steelers jersey for the day
A. Play ice hockey. It’s a great full-contact
to demonstrate how the numbering system is
way to let all the stress out and meet a lot of
“There aren’t many places in life where a formality,” Thompson said of Cole.
people whom I otherwise would not meet.
people with such opposite views on a difficult
issue can treat each other with respect and Q. What CD is in your CD player right now? During his time at Stanford, Thompson kept
dignity. Stanford happened to be one of A. The last thing I put on my iPod was himself busy. In addition to his rigorous
them,” Thompson said. “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That” by Robert studies, he was extremely active in several
Randolph & The Family Band. They have student organizations, including, but not
Prior to attending Stanford Law School, an awesome funk/dance/jam sound going limited to, the Community Legal Services of
Thompson graduated from Yale University in on that just gives you energy; I don’t think East Palo Alto/Volunteer Attorney Program;
it’s possible to not dance if you really crank
2002 with a degree in economics, specifically the Stanford Journal of Law, Business
it up. The organ break (yes, an organ
public policy, and computer science. & Finance; the Stanford Law and Policy
break) is brilliant.
Society; the Stanford Entertainment and
“After four years in the bucolic sunshine Q. What is the last magazine you read? Sports Law Association; and the Stanford
of New Haven, I was ready for a move to A. Not the ABA Journal, I can tell you that. intercollegiate ice hockey team, on which he
the gritty, gray streets of Palo Alto,” said played left wing.
Q. What is your favorite TV show?
Thompson.
A. Easy one-House.
“Student groups are a great way to meet
Q. Who is your role model? people and explore different interests,”
A. I don’t think there’s one person, but it’s Thompson said. “Here at Stanford, we had
more about picking pieces from individuals groups ranging from the political (ACS and
whom I really respect. the Federalist Society) to the personal (the
Older and Wiser Law Students Association).
Q. What is something most people don’t
Each organization allows students to
know about you?
express a different side of their personal,
A. Embarrassing factoid: I’m a sucker
Thompson said that the person who most for cheesy mid-90s pop/rock, especially
professional, or political life. Getting
influenced him during law school was Counting Crows. involved is also a great way to gain a lot of
Professor Marcus Cole, whom Thompson the skills that employers will look for, from
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2. STUDENT PROFILE www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
teamwork to a mastery of the Bluebook stands 19,340 feet above sea level. Since
to knowing how to navigate your school’s the climb was made at night, Thompson and
bureaucracy.” his fellow climbers had to endure freezing
temperatures and the inability to see more
than the outline of the mountain in the
pitch black of night. They also had to deal
with quickly decreasing oxygen levels; they “I think the climbing bug may have bit me,”
started out taking breaks after three steps, said Thompson. “A lot of people on Kili
then after two, and finally had to lean on spoke very highly of the Annapurna Circuit
their poles after every step taken. [in Nepal] route, as well as some amazing
In December 2006, Thompson and several trips in New Zealand. It’s hard not to want to
of his friends who live in London climbed “Finally, after what felt like 10 hours, the sun recapture that experience.”
Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro. He said that he started to break the horizon, and we could
pulled an all-nighter in order to finish his see the vast swath of Africa stretched out In the meantime, Thompson will begin his
work and dropped off his final paper en route below us, with the icy glaciers of the summit foray into legal practice as a clerk for Judge
to the airport. He said the climb was “the on either side of us. The guides let out a Alex Kozinski of the United States Court of
ultimate way to get away from law school.” whooping song saluting the rise of the sun, Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
and a group of Irishmen ahead of us began
“It’s hard to worry about work and stress and On the Net
their own victory song,” Thompson said.
all the hectic stuff about day-to-day life in
“Finally, we had done it. The views from the
law school when you are on a trail heading David Thompson
top were well worth the climb up, and the
up a mountain,” Thompson said. “There www.davidcthompson.com
view of the famous sign was made that much
is something very relaxing about climbing.
sweeter by knowing that we had earned it
Each day brings a new challenge, but it is a Stanford Law School
with our own sweat and tears.”
very well-defined problem that can be solved www.law.stanford.edu
by just putting one foot in front of the other.”
Thompson said that he is not entirely sure
if he will end up climbing again, although Mt. Kilimanjaro
He said that the hardest part of the climb
he has a great desire to. During his climb, www.africatravelresource.com/africa/E/
was the summit night. Starting at 14,000 feet
he met people whose stories about their tanzania/accommodation/N/T65-kilimanjaro/
at midnight, the climbers ascended another
amazing trips caught his attention. 00a.htm?gclid=CIq63YS8oowCFQxuYAodeHta1g
5,340 feet to reach the summit, which
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