Sara Koeck interviewed Gabe Verdugo:
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Gabriel Verdugo, who graduated from the UW with a BA in Germanics and a BS in Plant Biology back in 2008. After attaining his bachelor’s degree, he continued on to law school, clerked at the Washington Supreme Court, and now works as an Associate Attorney for Keller Rohrback, L.L.P., in Seattle, Washington.
As most university students are worried about entering the workforce after graduation, I asked Gabe what advice he would give to current students to ensure they are prepared for life after college. He emphasized the importance that writing has had in his career so far and that students should focus on learning how to write clear and good arguments. He pointed out that this seems to be one of the skills many people in his field and other fields seem to lack.
As his current position does not have much to do with German Language and Literature, I asked him how, in his opinion, his degree in Germanics has helped him in his graduate education and his career. He stated that studying language and literature in depth in another language has allowed him to look at English with a more critical eye. His knowledge of another language also allows him to use sources originally written or published in German that usually are unavailable to other people in his field.
In addition to academics, Gabe believes that one of the most important things students should be doing during their time at the UW is to join organizations and meet people in the community. He states that networking is essential in today’s world and that it is also possible for internship and career opportunities to come through these connections.
Gabe said he would be happy to answer any questions students might have regarding law school or his career in law in general.