Mark McGarvie
Attorney turned historian takes the helm of pre-law program
October 30, 2009
Students at Richmond have been successfully applying to law school for years. But when they have questions about the application process or careers in the legal profession, they now have access to Mark McGarvie, an attorney and historian who has experience working in the public sector, practicing private law and serving as chief labor council for one of the top 50 largest corporations in America.
“I’ve seen different kinds of practice and have worked in trial law, litigation, negotiation and administrative law, so I have the opportunity to draw on that experience when I advise students considering law school,” McGarvie said.
If it seems like McGarvie is uniquely qualified for the position he assumed in July, you haven’t seen anything yet.
After a 14-year career as an attorney, McGarvie decided to fulfill a lifetime goal — he went back to school and earned a Ph.D. in history at Indiana University. His field of study? Intellectual and legal history of the early American republic.
“I studied the history of ideas. Law is really a type of belief system that allows people to fit into a social framework.”
McGarvie’s first post-attorney gig was teaching legal writing and legal history at SUNY-Buffalo. A post-doctoral Golieb Fellowship in legal history at NYU School of Law followed before McGarvie ultimately accepted a position in the University of Richmond’s Department of History.
At Richmond, it didn’t take long for people to recognize that McGarvie’s diverse experiences made him equally adept at teaching history, law and even, leadership courses. He spent one year directing the legal writing program at the T.C. Williams School of Law and most recently, led the University’s “The Moral Limits of Criminal Law” summer course in Cambridge, England. But where his talents may have their most lasting impact is the new Pre-Law Program that McGarvie launched this summer.
“Richmond doesn’t offer a pre-law major and that’s a good thing. One of the best things students can do to prepare for law school is major in something that interests them and that teaches them fundamental skills like writing, deductive reasoning and self-expression,” McGarvie said. “The Pre-Law Program is designed to be a guide, helping students navigate course selection in the early years, LSAT review, the actual application process and ultimately the decision process—deciding not only on a law school but on what aspects of the legal profession they might enjoy.”
Students benefit from McGarvie’s strong emphasis on writing. In addition to having taught legal writing, McGarvie built a career on his ability to write. He once won 54 summary judgments in a row. Considering that these decisions are granted in less than 10 percent of all cases and are based purely on written record, it’s clear McGarvie knows how to communicate about the law.
“I constantly stress the importance of writing to students. In most cases, their written communication skills will determine the level of success they achieve in their profession. It certainly determines the level of success they achieve in the law school admissions process.”
Students say McGarvie tells it how it is, and that he doesn’t mind picking apart an admissions essay to ensure that both the direction and writing is right on.
When he’s not meeting with students, McGarvie is busy reaching out to prospective students, current undecided students and alumni to build a network that can support and mentor the next generation of Richmond attorneys.
Article ID: 126
