“Got a Minute?” with Elizabeth Stanton, 2L

Welcome to UW Law’s “Got a Minute?” series. These are fun, short-answer interviews with 20 rapid-fire questions. We’ll find students throughout William H. Gates Hall as they study, wait for class or hangout with their classmates.

This week’s “Got a Minute?” interview is with Elizabeth Stanton, 2L.

UW Law: Are you originally from Seattle, and if not, where?

Elizabeth Stanton:  I'm from Lake Stevens, Washington, which is just up north.

UW Law: What's one interesting fact about where you're from?

ES: It's named after the first governor of Washington, Governor Stevens. Also, Chris Pratt is from there.

UW Law: Where did you earn your undergraduate degree?

ES: UW. I'm a Double Dawg.

UW Law: Did you take time off between law school and undergrad?

ES: I did. I graduated in 2020, and then I spent a year working in customer service, and then two years working various jobs at law firms. I worked at Perkins Coie as an admin assistant, and then at Davis Wright Tremaine as a legal assistant.

UW Law: What’s your favorite spot on the UW campus, excluding William H. Gates Hall.

ES: I love the Suzzallo reading room, and I love the HUB.

UW Law: If you could give out one superlative to any professor, what would it be and who would win it?

ES: I would give Best Shoes to Professor Porter. She has the best shoe collection.

UW Law: What do you do when you need a break from studying?

ES: Take my dog for a walk around the neighborhood.

UW Law: Who was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

ES: John Marshall?

UW Law: No, but you got the first name correct. It’s John Jay. Which professor do you think could have a second career as a stand-up comedian?

ES: Professor Garavito. He's very funny.

UW Law: Which legal term would make the best name for a band?

ES: Res judicata.

UW Law: Name one professor that should give a TED Talk and on what topic.

ES: Oh, I would love to listen to Professor Feldman give a TED talk on oral persuasion and persuading juries by being a good speaker.

UW Law: What area of law would you like to pursue after you receive your J.D.?

ES: I'm really interested in appellate litigation, or litigation generally. I just want to write.

UW Law: What would you say the biggest difference between summer employment and law school is?

ES: I had a lot more free time and I felt like I was actually doing something real, rather than just living in some hypothetical world all the time. It was especially cool because I wrote a memo for my judge that eventually got turned into an opinion, and now I can go on Westlaw and look up something that I wrote. That's pretty cool.

UW Law: What's a fun thing you like to do on the weekends?

ES: I like to play D&D. I have a D&D group and we've been playing for a couple of years now.

UW Law: If you weren’t pursuing a law degree, what would you be doing instead?

ES: I'd probably be a paralegal. That was the path I was originally on. I was a legal assistant, and I started taking paralegal courses, and I liked it so much that I decided I had to go to law school.

UW Law: Which Professor do you think would have the best shot at winning Survivor?

ES: Winning Survivor? Can I say none of them? [Laughs] I feel like some of them would be good at the social aspect of the game, but actually surviving in the wilderness? I don't think law professors are cut out for that.

UW Law: What's your favorite memory from law school so far?

ES: I have so many. I made some really good friends in my section my 1L year. And then after 1L year ended, we went out for a really nice dinner. We got drinks on a rooftop bar, and we dressed up all fancy. That was one of my favorite memories from last year.

UW Law: Name one lawyer that inspires you and why.

ES: There are so many. I have to say Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I just think the things she did for the practice of law have made it possible for me to be here right now. So, I have to give her credit.

UW Law: What are your plans for summer?

ES: I'll be at DWT.

UW Law: What's one interesting fact about you that people may not know?

ES: I was in the marching band in college, and I got to perform at the Rose Bowl, which was super fun. And I met my fiancé in the marching band at UW.