Alumni Spotlight

Jordan Harvey JD '16

Tell us about your career path after law school.

After graduating from GW Law in 2016, I clerked for a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. I then clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Following my clerkships, I worked for a large law firm in Washington, D.C. for three years before becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

What made you decide be a part of the GW Law Alumni Association board?

I decided to be part of the GW Law Alumni Association board because I wanted to remain involved in the school and help to support the next generation of students and alumni.

Have there been any particularly rewarding or challenging experiences serving on the board?

The best part of serving on the board is having additional opportunities to interact with students and alumni. I’ve been able to speak on panels hosted by the Alumni Association board, as well as attend Admitted Students Day, alumni social events, and other activities that allow me to remain connected to GW Law.

What other ways do you give back your time to the school?

In addition to serving on the GW Law Alumni Association board, I also served for several years on the board of the GW Association of Black Law Alumni, I speak on the Career Center’s annual clerkship advice panel, and I continue to serve as a mentor to current students.

As an active volunteer, why do you think it’s important for alumni to remain connected with each other and current students?

As alumni, the strength of our law school is part of our professional identity. Likewise, our alumni network can serve as an invaluable source of professional development. In order to keep our school and our network strong, it is important that we continue to give back to the school and support students and fellow alumni.

What advice do you have for fellow alumni who would like to become more involved with the law school?

Getting involved in the law school is not as difficult or as time-consuming as you might think, and it’s extremely rewarding. I would encourage fellow alumni to reach out to the Alumni Association or the Office of Alumni Relations to find out what opportunities there are to get involved, including volunteering for your Class Reunion Committee or applying to join the Alumni Association board!

Is there a class or experience during your time as a student at GW Law that you found particularly helpful or impactful?

One of the most meaningful classes I took as a law student was Pre-Trial Advocacy with Associate Dean Alfreda Robinson. It was a hands-on, experiential class in which we students were organized into two competing “law firms.” We were given mock case materials and instructed to engage in pre-trial litigation with each other: we drafted and responded to discovery requests and motions, we took depositions, and we argued in “court” over motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment. It was my first real “lawyering” experience and it brought to life the theoretical and abstract concepts I had learned in other classes. I had a similar experience in the Public Justice Advocacy Clinic, supervised by Professor Jeffrey Gutman, representing real clients as a Student Attorney. Those experiences set me up for success as a future litigator.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to yourself as a 1L?

If I could go back in time, I would tell my 1L self to be more social, participate in more study groups, and invest in relationships with my fellow classmates. Not only does it provide a richer and less lonely educational experience, but it also opens up professional opportunities in the future.