Host Leah Murdy interviews Belmont University College of Law Emeritus Dean Alberto Gonzales and Dean Deborah R. Farringer about their paths into law, key career moments, and guidance for future lawyers. Inger describes working as a paralegal in Seattle, attending Vanderbilt, clerking on the Fourth Circuit, practising healthcare regulatory and in-house corporate health law, and joining Belmont in 2013.
Gonzales recounts military service, Rice and Harvard, 13 years in private practice, state and federal government service, working in the White House during 9/11, and serving as U.S. Attorney General before becoming Belmont’s dean.
They emphasise public service, people skills, client-centred seriousness, calm decision-making, and learning through practice. They discuss Belmont’s practicum-focused approach to practice readiness, as well as higher-education concerns, including civic and historical knowledge, access to justice, competency standards, and responsible AI use.
Their advice: stay open, try different areas, and consider public service.
This episode was recorded prior to Deborah Farringer’s elevation to Dean.
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