Should I apply to law school?
He had been told once that studying law wouldn't be the right career for him. The message was discouraging but clear: his high school background didn’t fit the prestigious mold of a typical student accepted into law school. So, Andrew Hughes (J.D. ’25) left his undergraduate pre-law advisor’s office at Oklahoma State University disappointed and defeated.
The question seemed settled, and for years, the door to law school stayed shut, but unbeknownst to Hughes at the time, that chapter had only been put on pause.
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology, Hughes moved to Atlanta and started an entry-level role with The Home Depot, rising quickly through the ranks to manage a team responsible for administering the company’s training system.
Hughes’ interest in law school resurfaced in 2021 as he watched Joyette Holmes, then the special prosecutor appointed to the Ahmaud Arbery case, navigate the national spotlight with what struck him as integrity and transparency.
"Even after Holmes lost her re-election campaign, she kept working toward the same goals of reducing recidivism in low-income communities," Hughes said. "I found it inspiring that she didn’t let this setback throw her off course."
Her determination and clarity of purpose inspired Hughes to recommit to his dream. He studied for the LSAT and took his first steps into a field he had once been told he didn’t belong in.
Hughes applied to Georgia State Law for practical reasons; namely its location and affordability. But he stayed because of the people. “I had no context about law schools before attending GSU,” he said. “But after my first semester, I found a sense of community with my peers and GSU faculty who supported me through a crisis of confidence.”
To support his own growth as a student and future practitioner, Hughes took on extracurricular activities that broadened his range of experiences. He served as a mentor in student organizations such as the Student Bar Association, Black Law Students Association and GSU’s first pre-law mentorship program, guiding undergraduate students on the pathway that had once been closed to him.
“My life has been characterized by others investing their time and interest in my success,” he said. “I wanted to pour into others the way that people have poured into me.”
Additionally, Hughes helped design GSU’s first student-led data breach exercise, creating a simulation that exposed law students to the potential stressors of a data breach in a controlled environment and helping them build skills for a technology-driven legal world. His success here was a tangible accomplishment, proving to himself and others that he could apply legal knowledge in meaningful, innovative ways, even in uncharted territory.
Hughes helped design GSU’s first student-led data breach exercise, creating a simulation that exposed law students to the potential stressors of a data breach in a controlled environment and helping them build skills for a technology-driven legal world.
From this, he developed a passion for privacy and cybersecurity law, connecting his interest in technology to what he was learning about the law, emerging tech legislation and regulations. “An individual’s privacy used to only be protected after it was violated,” he said. “Now, with laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and various state-level regulations, we’re building proactive protections. There’s so much opportunity for new attorneys to jump in and help shape these protections going forward.”
Hughes took the opportunity to get a head start in data privacy work through internships during his law school years. He supported internal technology-focused counsel at both Accenture, and Genuine Parts. Hughes learned how lawyers drive innovation from inside large organizations and gain hands-on problem-solving experience communicating with non-legal stakeholders.
He also landed a role as an intern for BakerHostetler’s IncuBaker program, a groundbreaking legal process engineering course that helps Georgia State Law students develop a real-world understanding of legal technologies. Here, he explored how important it is for attorneys to stay aware of technological advances to continue meeting their ethical responsibility for competence.
“Andrew Hughes was a standout member of our team, bringing a unique blend of enthusiasm, intelligence, and dedication to his role,” said Katherine Lowry, chief information officer and head of the IncuBaker program. “His ability to engage with complex legal and technological concepts was impressive, and he quickly became an integral part of our projects.”
For example, Hughes worked with a major automobile manufacturer, using generative AI to analyze complaint data, streamlining the company’s data handling process and providing valuable insights into common issues and potential areas for improvement.
“Andrew's expertise was on full display when he presented his findings to the client in-person. His presentation was not only clear and informative but also well-received, earning him high praise,” said Lowry. “I expect Andrew to achieve great things after law school. His passion for the law, combined with his technical acumen, positions him to be a leader in the legal industry.”
BakerHostetler is a prominent supporter of Georgia State Law with more than 20 alumni who contribute to the BakerHostetler Law Alumni Scholarship for Excellence at the College of Law, supporting first year law students at their alma mater.
For now, Hughes is laser-focused on studying and passing the Georgia Bar Exam and landing a privacy-focused role where he can begin to put his expertise to work. Whether he finds a role serving as in-house counsel for a company, or he opts to provide privacy and cybersecurity consulting alongside his wife who graduates this spring with her Masters in Cybersecurity from Georgia Tech, Hughes has found a career where he not only belongs, but brings value and forward-looking vision to the field.
- Written by Lauren Allred