A former student-athlete himself — he played basketball for IUPUI from 2010-2014 — Gibbs says that he was already familiar with most of the NCAA regulations he has encountered this summer.

But he was surprised to learn that the NCAA doesn’t create the laws its member institutions abide by; rather, it collects, maintains, interprets and enforces the laws voted on by the institutions.

Most of his work at the NCAA has involved legislative research, he says.

“A lot of my job has been reviewing proposals that have become amended laws to determine if older interpretations have been affected by this new amendment and if they need to be revised,” he says.

While this externship hasn’t been the typical law student summer job, Gibbs says he has appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the world of sports and entertainment law.

That’s a big change from the experience he has gained as a intern in Hilliard Lyons’ trusts and estates department. He has worked there throughout law school.

Wherever his career takes him, Gibbs says he knows law is the right path for him

“I didn’t know any lawyers growing up as a kid. I didn’t know much about law school up until the day I got here. But it was just something that I always wanted. It was a goal of mine. I didn’t understand what it was at the time, but now that I’ve done it and I’m going in to my third year, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” he says. “I really enjoy it. I’m confident that I made the right decision in going to law school.

Durbin joined the association this academic year as a way to gain networking opportunities. When she learned there was a vacancy for the region encompassing Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio, she interviewed for the position and was appointed on the spot.

“I’m in charge of reaching out to the organizations at the schools (in the region) with job opportunities and networking events,” she says. “We also have a conference in March in New Mexico and a moot court competition.”

Durbin, who has family in Puerto Rico, says she was motivated to get involved with the Hispanic National Bar Association after Hurricane Maria struck the island in September 2017.

“I wanted to be connected with people who understand what I’m going through with the aftermath of that,” she says.

Durbin’s family is in the northwestern coastal town of Camuy, which was heavily impacted by Hurricane Maria. Her family was without power for 10 weeks, an aunt’s house was flooded and her grandfather lost part of his roof.

“In comparison, we were lucky, but it was still really hard,” she said. 

Durbin, who was in her first semester of law school during that time, says she was deeply impacted by the natural disaster.

“My world was turned upside down. I didn’t know if my family was alive for two weeks,” she said, adding that she saw images on social media of Camuy’s destruction but wasn’t able to reach family members because cell service was down.

Durbin went to Puerto Rico two months after the hurricane. Electricity was back on, but not reliably. FEMA came to her family while she was there and she says she was struck by the small resources provided: 10 boxes of food and one case of water for five people for two weeks.

“That has really shaped my path in law school,” she said. “I was really kind of unsure about where I wanted to go practice law. Since then, I’ve done a lot of research for my classes and I’m writing a journal article about the power crisis in Puerto Rico following the hurricane.”

Durbin plans to take the Puerto Rico bar exam and wants to practice human and civil rights there.

“I am both excited and nervous,” Mercke says. “I think that law school has prepared me for going through the gauntlet out there.”

Public service has always been a career goal for Mercke, who will spend the summer studying for the California bar exam before he begins his position in August.

Mercke sees this job as a way to use the opportunities and privilege he’s been given for a bigger purpose.

“Part of the reason I went to law school is seeing the inequities of my community and society in general,” he says. “It’s more than just a paycheck. It’s a way to live my life and do some good in the world.”

As a law student, Mercke has been involved in several public service roles: He’s worked at Louisville’s Legal Aid Society and for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy. There, he was involved in post-conviction work and sometimes visited clients in jail. He has also clerked for Chief Judge Audra Eckerle of Jefferson Circuit Court. In that role, he was able to observe the justice system from the perspective of the bench. 

These positions helped Mercke fulfill his  — all Brandeis Law students must complete 30 hours of public service work in order to graduate, although many end up completing many more hours than are required.

“The public service requirement at the University of Louisville helped me see the role of public service right from the beginning of law school,” Mercke says.

Mercke credits Professor  and Professor  as influential forces during his law school career. Both professors are enthusiastic, rigorous scholars who have been great sources of motivation, he says. 

Another source of motivation for Mercke is his desire to fight inequalities on even a small level, even if structural change is far off. 

“I want to leave the world a better place than I found it,” he says. “I want to give back what I can while I can.”

When Brandeis School of Law student Melissa Gibson started her Instagram account three years ago, she was figuring out her own body image. 

Conway is a pitcher with the University of Louisville’s baseball team. He played baseball during his undergraduate career at Indiana State University, where he injured his shoulder in his junior year and sat out the majority of that year. After playing his senior year, he learned that he would likely qualify for a medical hardship waiver. He applied for that waiver, which was approved in July 2017, granting him one last year of eligibility to play.

By that point, Conway had committed to attending the Brandeis School of Law, and the powerhouse baseball team at UofL also was attractive to him. Coach Dan McDonnell spoke with Conway’s summer league coach and a few of his former teammates, who were able to speak to Conway’s skills and commitment.

Conway decided to spend one more year as a student-athlete.

“I keep getting to play the sport I love,” he said, adding that he also saw a position on the team as a networking opportunity. “Dan McDonnell just was the , so having the opportunity to work with him throughout Louisville when I want to practice law in Louisville and being able to have him vouch for me on a professional level would be extremely beneficial when it comes time to apply for jobs.” 

As a double major in legal studies and political science at Indiana State, Conway had his eye on law school for years. 

“I like challenging myself. Obviously, physically with athletics, but also academically,” he said. “I wanted a career that wasn’t the same every day. The law is always changing, and every case is different. I felt like I could challenge myself every day — and I like to argue.”

Balancing life as a student-athlete is a challenge, but Conway credits support from both the law school and the baseball team in helping him maintain his hectic schedule. Conway’s law professors have been supportive, as has Jennifer DiSanza, Brandeis’ assistant dean for student services and law chief of staff. And McDonnell has told him that academics are a priority for all his players.

McDonnell praised Conway’s commitment to success as a baseball player and as a law student.

“Austin has displayed impressive maturity and focus in the way he’s managed both baseball and law school since he arrived on campus. From the moment we first talked about the challenges of balancing those demands, his excitement for embracing the opportunity has helped him in the process. He did his own research on how many Division I student-athletes have been able to also attend law school and that has helped him have a realistic set of expectations,” McDonnell said. “He has respected the challenge and has never felt a sense of entitlement. At this point in his career, he fully understands college academics and athletics and he knows he has to earn everything he gains in the classroom and on the field.”

Conway is thinking of pursuing a career in corporate law and is looking forward to becoming more involved with law school extracurriculars when his baseball career ends this year. In the mean time, he is spending this year working hard.

“It’s not easy for the people who aren’t into it. I really, really want to practice law and it’s something that I enjoy doing, so it’s easier for me to open the book,” he said. “It’s hard, but it’s easy because I enjoy it.”