
Billy Black
J.D. 2025
Associate,
Paul Hastings
William “Billy” Black started his career in Washington, D.C., working on political campaigns, in Congress, and as an economics reporter. He’d been thinking about applying to law school for years, but then another campaign would launch, or he’d get another job, and the window would close. Then the pandemic kicked the usual D.C. frenzy into overdrive, and Billy decided that he’d never have a better opportunity to study for the LSAT and apply to law schools.
One of the things that drew him to Vanderbilt Law was the geographic diversity of the school’s job placements. Unsure of where he wanted to live after law school, Billy appreciated how Vanderbilt places students on both coasts, in addition to various cities in the South and Midwest. “I was results focused. It just seemed like if I did the legwork, I could end up wherever I wanted, [and] that flexibility was important to me,” he said.
Billy was equally open-minded about potential law school careers, and he sought to take a variety of courses in many different areas. Some of his favorite courses to date include Labor Law with Professor Nicole Berner, Marijuana Law with Professor Robert Mikos, and various international law courses with Professor Michael Newton. He took advantage of experiential learning opportunities as well, with support and guidance from Professor Newton. Billy worked as a research assistant for Global Rights Compliance during his 1L spring. The following year, he assisted with a project for the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention as a part of the International Law Practice Lab.
Both Professors Newton and Mikos played key roles in Billy’s first summer. He initially studied abroad for six weeks with Professor Newton through the Vanderbilt in Venice program. He then interned remotely for the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) while traveling around Europe. The AGA is a bipartisan nonprofit that fosters collaboration between AG offices; Professor Mikos connected Billy with them due to his interest in cannabis law and regulations.
While Billy did have several off-campus adventures, he also made multiple contributions to the on-campus community, serving as the vice president of the American Constitution Society and the treasurer of the International Law Society. He also founded the Vanderbilt chapter of Older, Wiser Law Students (OWLS) as a way to connect with other students who worked before law school the same way that he did.
“It was so easy for me to find my people here, I was almost surprised by it. I expected there to be more of a barrier to entry, being an older student coming back [to school],” he said. “Everybody’s been really welcoming… There’s no divide between us and any of the folks that came straight from undergrad, which has been so lovely.”
When it came to figuring out his second summer internship, Billy leaned on campus recruiting opportunities to connect with firms. He interviewed for positions in several major cities, including New York and Chicago, before eventually gravitating towards San Francisco. He received offers from multiple firms and accepted an summer associate position at Paul Hastings, where he’ll be returning to work full-time after graduation with an eye on corporate transactional and fintech work.
“It appeals to me for the same reason that marijuana law appealed to me: I like the kind of weird, constantly changing, not-quite-settled areas of law, as well as the regulatory aspects of it,” he said.
Looking back on his time at Vanderbilt, Billy appreciates the ability to pursue his niche legal interests inside and outside the classroom. He credits his professors for not only sharing their expertise, but also connecting him with so many professional opportunities in their fields. Billy recommends that aspiring law students take a similar approach to charting their own path through law school and discovering a law career they will still be passionate about for years to come.
“A lot of my friends are further on in their legal careers, and the ones that have been the happiest with it, they all found a subject that they loved in law, and they focused on it. And almost every time there is a professor at the front end of that, where they took a particular class, and they just adored it,” he said.
“You can explore your interests, figure out what matters to you, and then just go after it. There’s a professor here that knows how to do it, and they are almost always happy to talk to you. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can do nearly anything with their help.”