[hero align="left" class="gunmetal" opacity="transparent" attachment_id="186952"]“Georgia State Law has incredible resources and students do themselves a disservice by not utilizing them.”
Luke Donohue (J.D. '16)
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For as long as he can remember, Luke Donohue (J.D. ’16) wanted to go to law school. He grew up with great mentors who were attorneys and interned with Federal Judge Anthony A. Alaimo of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia during his senior year of high school.
2016 Commencement
And Hooding Ceremony
“That internship really solidified my desire to be an attorney and kept me focused on making it to law school throughout my undergrad years,” Donohue said.
Donohue graduated from the University of Georgia in 2013 with a bachelor of arts in history. His passion for the law was evident in his senior thesis about Georgia’s Confederate Flag controversy. Once at Georgia State Law, he took full advantage of the opportunities to learn, and do.
“While many law students graduate but struggle to find experience, I was able to practice law in the HeLP Clinic, advocating for, interviewing and counseling real clients. I even wrote a brief that an administrative law judge relied on in awarding years of benefits to a disabled teenager that had been wrongly denied,” Donohue said.
“I externed for Justice Carol Hunstein at the Georgia Supreme Court, where I did real-world research and writing that was used by the justices in their deliberations and opinions. I was fortunate enough to be published twice in the Georgia State Law Review and to compete and coach across the country as a member of the Moot Court. These experiences allowed me to be competitive in the legal market. If I had not chosen to attend Georgia State Law, I’m not sure I’d have any of those unforgettable opportunities.”
Donohue considers his involvement with the 2016 Law Review Symposium his proudest law school accomplishment.
“I had the honor to work with some of the best people I’ve ever met – primarily, my co-editor Christine Lee (J.D. ’16), our editorial board, especially Max Jones (J.D. ’16), Mary Emily Hearons (J.D. ’16) and Harry Rowland (J.D. ’16), and Professor Eric Segall,” he said. “During the symposium, I interacted with and heard from legal powerhouses who I had only read about in books before, including Erwin Chemerinsky, Judge Richard Posner, Justice Don Willett and Eugene Volokh, and I shared the stage with panelists, who so far exceed my intelligence that I am not worthy to even edit their papers.”
Donohue now is focusing on starting his career. He will practice labor and employment litigation with Ogletree Deakins. He hopes current and upcoming law students will take advantage of all Georgia State Law has to offer.
“Georgia State Law has incredible resources and students do themselves a disservice by not utilizing them,” he said “Go talk to your teachers and the deans. Get to know people in the class above you. Run for leadership positions in whatever groups you’re in, and take advantage of any networking opportunity you can get…Oh, and take Legislation with Professor [Neil] Kinkopf — it’s the greatest class ever.”