Trey Ferguson

After earning his undergraduate degree in economics at Villanova, Trey Ferguson was interested in studying law to learn more about political economy. “I wanted to understand the regulatory structure encompassing business transactions—I was very interested in how laws incentivize financial and strategic decisions and vice versa,” he said.

His desire to attend law school was initially sparked by an undergraduate internship on Capitol Hill with Rep. Lucy McBath, who represents Georgia’s 7th District in the House of Representatives. “Rep. McBath sits on the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee for Antitrust, and the matters I worked on piqued my interest by providing color to the economic theories I previously studied in class,” he said.

Trey also had an interest in finance, and Vanderbilt’s JD/MBA program, offered by two well-regarded professional schools that are directly adjacent on Vanderbilt’s campus, opened up a broad array of career paths. “I was confident that coupling the Law School’s analytical focus with the Owen Graduate School of Management’s quantitative emphasis would make me a very competitive applicant for coveted internships and permanent positions,” Trey said.

Vanderbilt Law and Owen also met other important criteria for Trey. Both schools have an extensive track record of job placement at premier firms, and the law school’s competitive financial aid packages, its strong Law & Business Program, and its diverse faculty were also important to him. “The alumni I spoke with before I enrolled had nothing but positive things to say about Vanderbilt and its leadership,” he said.

Vanderbilt’s location in Nashville, Trey’s hometown, was “icing on the cake,” he recalled.

Trey particularly enjoys law classes where professors employ the Socratic method. “The Socratic method provides a unique academic environment, and you’re forced to think on your feet. Professors here are very good at challenging students in ways that are critical to understanding intricate legal doctrines, and students’ ability to similarly engage with professors enriches the learning atmosphere,” he said.

After a 1L year he describes as “enriching,” Trey interned with Cleary Gottlieb, a preeminent law firm headquartered in New York City, where he learned deal dynamics within the firm’s M&A and Private Funds group. The following summer, he briefly returned to Cleary Gottlieb and also interned with law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and management consulting firm Bain & Company. Last summer, Trey interned with Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm, where he will return as a full-time Private Equity Associate after graduation.

Trey believes his law classes will benefit his career in private equity. “I engaged most intimately with the Law & Business Program. My corporate electives at VLS gave me a substantial knowledge base and a knack for issue-spotting legal problems in business situations. I’m looking forward to leveraging this skillset in my work at Warburg Pincus after graduation,” he said.

Reflecting on his career development throughout his dual-degree program, Trey said, “I knew entering law school that I wanted to integrate myself into the private equity landscape, but I wasn’t sure whether that would be as a private equity attorney, consultant, or deal practitioner. While my career aspirations didn’t change during law school, the courses I took and my internships both brought clarity regarding the work I wanted to do.”

Trey took a “very thoughtful” approach to his involvement with the Vanderbilt Law community. As a 1L, he joined the Black Law Student Association (BLSA), and he currently serves as its President. He was especially proud when BLSA hosted its inaugural Career Fair this fall, which raised over $32,000 and allowed BLSA members to interact with representatives from 27 legal employers. “BLSA provides a space where Black students develop the toolkit necessary to excel academically, professionally, and socially during law school, and that’s extremely important for their maturation into successful attorneys,” he said.

Trey also served as the Senior Notes Editor for the Vanderbilt Law Review. “I oversaw the publication process for 37 students with the assistance of five colleagues. The work enhanced my attention to detail, written communication, and leadership skills. I also was a member of the Policy Committee, which focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives specific to the Law Review,” he said.

Throughout his law school tenure, Trey was intentional about supporting and uplifting others. In addition to leading orientation sessions for incoming students, he recently wrote and published a book, A[mateur] to B[arrister], that offers a comprehensive guide to assist law students from underrepresented backgrounds succeed throughout their 1L year. He also serves on the Advisory Board of Afro Scholars, a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering exceptional first-year law students from underrepresented groups with professional development opportunities. “I prioritize lifting as I climb,” he said.

As part of his book release, he also established a law scholarship for incoming 1Ls in honor of his grandfather, Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr., a pioneering attorney who became the first Black Chief Justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court. The first recipient of the $5,000 annual Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr. scholarship, Kamilah Newton, is a student at Fordham Law School. “The more I learn, the more I want to ensure others possess the same information,” he said.

He urges current students to reach out to their peers, faculty, and staff for help. “The Law School community is what you make it,” he emphasized. “I really enjoyed the collegial atmosphere at Vanderbilt and learning from my peers and our esteemed faculty. The Vanderbilt Law administration is very receptive to campus initiatives, especially those which students are willing to put in the necessary action to bring their ideas to life. Older students helped me navigate law school, and that inspired me to continue pouring into a community that provided so much value to my educational journey.”