"Got a Minute?" with Jeff Hayden, 3L

Welcome to the second season of UW Law’s “Got a Minute?” series. Like last year, we’ll find students throughout William H. Gates Hall and ask them 20 questions about their law school experience, a bit about themselves and occasionally drop in a pop quiz or two.

This week, we’re featuring Jeff Hayden, a third-year J.D. student.

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

Jeff Hayden (JH): No, I'm from Viera, Florida.

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

JH: It's close to Kennedy Space Center.

UW Law: Where did you earn your undergraduate degree?

JH: University of Florida.

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

JH: I guess, technically. I did a master's at the University of Texas before I came here.

UW Law: Why did you decide to go to law school?

JH: I'm interested in Afghan history. More broadly, Islamic law and the history of South Asia. When I was in my master's program, my thesis advisor was dual appointed with the law school at UT, and he taught Middle Eastern legal systems, Islamic law. And so, I thought law school would be a good historical and legal approach to study the region.

UW Law: Which U.S. president also served as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?

JH: I want to say it's someone in the 19th century, but I can't put my name on them.

UW Law: Taft. What's one thing you wish you had known before your first day of law school?

JH: I wish I had known how the 1L year was laid out. I hadn't talked to anybody who had gone to law school before then because I didn't have anyone in my family who had been to law school. So, coming from my graduate program where my largest class was like five students to my first law class that had like 50-plus students, I was like, “Oh, it's not going to be the same thing at all.”

UW Law: Which professor would you pick to be your karaoke partner?

JH: I feel like Calandrillo would be good for karaoke. He seems like a loose, having fun kind of guy.

UW Law: Do you have any big plans for summer?

JH: I'm probably just going to be working and applying to Ph.D. programs come fall.

UW Law: What's one thing that every visitor to Seattle should see or do?

JH: If you're in Seattle for a little bit of time, I would suggest going to Discovery Park over the more tourist trap places.

UW Law: Do you have any secret talent?

JH: I used to play the viola in orchestra, but I haven’t done it in a very long time.

UW Law: In 30 seconds, list as many UW Law professors as you can. Go!

JH: Lombardi, Calandrillo, Manheim, Cimini, Olazcon Mozo, Feldman, Kartman, Nguyen, Mills.

UW Law: Nine! Which achievement or accomplishment are you most proud of?

JH: I think I’m most proud of being awarded a FLAS fellowship last year — the Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship — to study Persian here.

UW Law: What's the most unexpected thing you've learned about yourself while being a law student?

JH: How much I hate being cold called in class.

UW Law: What is the official name of the building that houses the United States Supreme Court?

JH: The official building? I would not be able to tell you.

UW Law: Supreme Court Building. What advice would you give incoming 1L students?

JH: Be gentle with yourself because it's a lot of work. It's a very fast-paced year, so don't feel like you need to be the top of every single class or be the number one participant in every single course. It's enough that you're showing up to class and putting in the work that you are best able to do. And then come 2L year, maybe your schedule will be a bit freer, and you'll be able to take the courses that more directly relate to your interests.

UW Law: Do you have a favorite law-related TV show or movie, and if so, which one?

JH: I used to watch Suits and then I started watching JAG, which was the precursor to NCIS. The legal realism and accuracy is maybe a bit questionable, but I enjoyed the drama of it — you know, people yelling at each other, saying “objection.”

UW Law: Is there a particular clinic, journal or student organization that was a memorable experience for you?

JH: I'm in the Immigration Law Clinic and it’s been such a formative experience in terms of interacting with clients because most of the time I've been here it's been classes, classes, classes. But it’s also an area of the law that’s getting a lot of attention right now and is perhaps the most different from what we're generally learning in our classes like civ pro, crim and con law.

UW Law: What year was the Bill of Rights ratified?

JH: I don't think it is, but 1789?

UW Law: Close — 1791. What's one interesting thing about you that people may not know?

JH: I feel like it's the one I've said the most often. So, at this point a lot of people know, but I've studied three languages other than English — Arabic, Pashto and Persian.