"Got a Minute?" with Taylor Halverson, 2L
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 Taylor Halverson, a second-year J.D. student.
UW Law: Are you originally from Seattle, and if not, where?
Taylor Halverson (TH): Yeah, I grew up in West Seattle until I was in seventh grade. Then my family lost our house in the recession, and so we ended up moving in with another family on Whidbey Island.
UW Law: What's one interesting fact about where you're from?
TH: Oak Harbor is home to Naval Air Station Whidbey with a huge military population and the site of a pending lawsuit by a group of Whidbey residents suing the Navy over how loud the jets are.
UW Law: Where did you earn your undergraduate degree?
TH: Here at UW.
UW Law: Did you take time off between undergrad and law school?
TH: Yeah, I took four years off. I was at the Snohomish County Superior Court for a bit, wiping Plexiglas during Covid. Then, I was at the Washington Appellate Project for two years — they're a public defense appellate office. I worked there as a legal assistant, and the attorneys there inspired me to come to law school.
UW Law: Why did you decide to come to law school?
TH: To become a public defender.
UW Law: What are you looking forward to in winter quarter?
TH: I'm taking criminal procedure adjudication this quarter, and I'm looking forward to learning more about the practicalities of criminal law before I start my externship this summer with the King County Department of Public Defense. So, really, I'm just excited to learn how to do the job, which is exciting.
UW Law: What's one tip you would give aspiring law students about the admissions process?
TH: Take your time and don't try to fit any particular mold or follow a step-by-step plan. I mean, I studied Norwegian in undergrad. So, do things that you are passionate about and that make you more interesting, and you'll be just fine.
UW Law: What do you do when you need a break from studying?
TH: I go to the movies. I have an AMC membership, so I can go a bunch of times. I love to try and keep up with all the big new releases, but I especially love watching horror movies in theaters.
UW Law: There have been 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, when was the most recent one ratified?
TH: I think it was in the 90s.
UW Law: Yep, 1992. What's one thing that every visitor to Seattle should go see or do?
TH: I would say go to the Burke and see the T-Rex there. They have the skeleton, which is pretty epic.
UW Law: What was something fun you did over winter break?
TH: I went down to the federal courthouse to see what trials were going on and walked into one about a woman who was accused of tax fraud. It turned out to be an interesting human story about her marriage and her culpability versus her husband's culpability.
UW Law: What surprised you the most about law school?
TH: That there are so many people here to go into corporate law.
UW Law: What did Elle Woods score on the LSAT in the movie “Legally Blonde”?
TH: I was hoping you'd ask this because in the movie it was 179, but for some reason in the musical they lowered it to 175 which I think is messed up and probably misogynistic. That's always bothered me.
UW Law: What achievement or accomplishment are you most proud of?
TH: In undergrad here, I applied to write a play for the Undergraduate Theater Society's New Works Series. They selected it and put it on for sold out audiences over a few nights. That was really cool.
UW Law: Which professors are listed first and last alphabetically in the UW Law online directory?
TH: I know this one. It's Ambrose at the top and Ziff at the end.
UW Law: Correct! If you weren't pursuing a law degree, what would you be doing instead?
TH: I'd be writing more. I dream of writing a movie, but it's hard to do while also attending law school. It's not a super practical pursuit, but one day.
UW Law: What's your favorite memory from law school so far?
TH: In civil procedure, we had just learned about the federal venue statute, and I coincidentally saw a news story about the Exonerated Five, formerly the Central Park Five, suing President Trump in Philadelphia after the debate there because he had accused them of being guilty again there. So, they sued him in Philadelphia. And then I wondered if they did that through the venue statute because that's where the events occurred. I was like, they live in New York, he lives in New York or Florida or D.C., why Philadelphia?
So, I sent the link to Professor Schnapper, who was my civil procedure professor, and then he just replied “Thanks. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy.” Then I came into class the next day, and he brought the newspaper in and ripped the page out and said, “Ripped from the headlines!” And then he handed it to me to read to the whole class. Then for the rest of the quarter, he called me “Madam B2,” which is the subsection of the venue statute. He also printed out the page of the complaint that talked about venue for everybody. So, that was pretty special.
UW Law: Name one lawyer who inspires you and why.
TH: Is it cheating if I say the entire staff of the Washington Appellate Project? They're all just such formidable, prolific and successful defenders that far too few people know about them. I would encourage everybody to look at their website and start reading all of the opinions that they fought for. They're my heroes.
UW Law: Is there anyone you would like to give a shoutout to?
TH: I would like to give a shoutout to my girlfriend, Sabiha Ahmad, who is a solo plaintiff's lawyer. She’s doing just awesome work every day, and I'm really proud of her.
UW Law: What's one interesting thing about you that people may not know?
TH: I am a fifth generation Seattleite. My great-great grandfather moved over here from Wales with my great-great grandmother in the 1920s during the Depression. He was a bricklayer here at UW for more than 30 years and retired as the head mason. So, it's a very special place to me. And then I'm the first person in my family to ever go to college. So, it was really pretty amazing to come back here.