From the time Josie Wall (J.D. ’21) was in high school, she knew her passion was storytelling. Majoring in journalism during undergrad at the University of Georgia, her plan was always to make a career out of it, but her idea of what it meant to be a storyteller shifted when she took a course on public communications law. After that, she decided she wanted to use her journalistic background to become a lawyer.
When choosing a law school, Georgia State College of Law was an easy choice for Wall. Being from the Atlanta area originally, it felt familiar to her, yet it also gave her access to a thriving legal community, firms and courts. Here, she discusses how her career path has shifted and how she is making the most of her time at Georgia State Law.
How did you shift from wanting to be a journalist to a lawyer?
As a journalism student, I was highlighting people and providing them exposure, but then I would sign my name at the end, post it and I would never touch it again. I didn't want to leave that story unfinished and I wanted to make more of an impact on people’s lives. People turn to lawyers during crucial times in their lives and lean on their attorney to fight for them. That's when I really started thinking about law school because I realized that was how I could finish the story.
What type of law are you interested in?
With my journalism background, I came into law school thinking I was going to argue First Amendment cases in front of the Supreme Court one day. But so far, I have done a lot of transactional work. Last year, I participated in the Mediation Clinic which was a great because mediation is such an important part of the legal process. Now I am working at KPPB Law in their corporations and estate planning divisions.
By getting a law degree, there are so many opportunities to pivot along our entire careers. There are areas that interest me more than others, but ultimately, I really just want to be a good lawyer and serve people well.
What challenges have you experienced as the president of the Student Bar Association this year?
It's been interesting to be SBA President during a global pandemic. It has definitely presented new challenges of how to connect the student body and keep our sense of community. With mainly virtual learning, it can get lonely with everyone is in their own bubble. We’re still working on ways to better connect everyone. We want the student body to know they have a group of leaders in SBA who are advocating for them. It’s been difficult to keep up as things are constantly changing, but it's also been really rewarding to serve the student body in this role.
Interview by Mara Thompson