Hugh Hill, Class of 2008
Associate, Lovells, New York
Undergraduate: Bowdoin College (Political Science and History)
When Hugh Hill graduated from Bowdoin with a degree in history and political science in 2002, his resume already included a stint as a staffer at the Democratic National Committee for Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign and work on a number of other national and state political campaigns.
Subsequently, as a mergers and acquisitions lobbyist, he was part of a team that helped create the world's largest health insurance company. His interest in advancing his career in mergers and acquisitions ultimately led him to apply to law school. Hugh chose Vanderbilt in part because "it was the exact opposite of every negative stereotype about law school I had heard."
After graduating in May 2008, Hugh moved to New York and joined Lovells, a British firm with approximately 1,800 attorneys worldwide. "I spent part of my 2L summer in London working on international trade law for the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, and I was extremely impressed with the Lovells people whom I met in London," he says. "And the opportunity for international work was a big selling point."
Hugh, who graduated with the Law & Business certificate, touts Professor Bob Thompson's courses in Corporations and Mergers & Acquisitions, Professor Mike Newton's International Practice Lab and Professor Herwig Schlunk's course in tax law as among his best classroom experiences at Vanderbilt. "Professor Schlunk took what I thought would be a very boring statutory law class and turned it into an engaging intellectual exercise," Hugh says.
Hugh is an avid backpacker because it requires a combination of self-sufficiency, self-discipline, and social and survival skills. He chose Vanderbilt because it struck him as demanding a similarly well-rounded set of skills. "The students here are bright, collegial, cooperative and socially adept," he says. "These are the people who will be successful in the real world of law."
Hugh views taking advantage of opportunities outside the classroom as an essential aspect of the learning experience. By the end of his 1L year, he was secretary of the Vanderbilt Bar Association, director of scholarship for the local chapter of American Constitution Society, a member of the Law and Business and International Law societies, and on the executive board of the Mock Trial competition, in which he was a finalist.
"Take the time to get to know your classmates," he advises. "They are fascinating people who, in the decades that follow law school, will be the ultimate benchmark for your time here."
