Empowering Startup Dreams
“Before I got to law school, I interned at a startup business; I loved and cherished the entrepreneurship spirit there. When I came to law school, I thought I had to let go of the startup dream.”
A World of Opportunities
June 2024
William Emery from Grandville, Ohio completed his undergraduate degree at Georgetown in Washington DC. During junior year, he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in his senior year, he married his wife Brynlee. The two now live in Delaware with their little girl, Charlotte, while Emery works at Potter Anderson, clerking and awaiting to take the bar exam.
Emery knew ever since he participated in a mock trial at age 12 that he wanted to go to law school. “BYU Law is actually the only school I applied to,” he says. “A representative from BYU Law came to DC to speak to students. The way they described pursuing a degree in a Christ centered, faith-filled environment made me realize that BYU Law was where I wanted to further my education.”
While at BYU Law, Emery was the Managing Editor of Administration of the BYU Law Review and a board member and finalist in the Rex E. Lee oral advocacy moot court competition.
One of the highlights of his law school experience was attending the Peace Building Academy. “It taught me a great deal about alternative dispute resolution and contextualized how a legal education can help inform and better myself as a person and as a Child of God. I am the first person to go to law school in my family and I didn’t really understand what a legal education could do. It was a valuable opportunity for me to learn how I can use a law degree more broadly in my life.”
Another aspect Emery cherishes about his law degree is that it opened possibilities for him across the country; it’s how he attributes having his current position in Delaware. “Considering BYU Law, it truly is a national or international law degree,” he states. “With a lot of schools, you’re making a geographically limited choice, and your investment can diminish on returns outside of the state. The reach of BYU’s law society allows you to go anywhere.
While at school, Emery was grateful for the support of donors. “Being on scholarship while at BYU Law was amazing,” he says. “It allowed me to earn a top-tier education and we didn’t have to postpone starting a family. Graduating debt-free also provides me with the flexibility to have options to clerk and figure out what I’d most like to do with my law-degree. When you have student debt hanging over your head, you feel as though your options are severely limited.”
“Without the support of alumnus, donors and the J. Reuben Clark Law School, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Thank you!”
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