J. Ashley Ebersole, Class of 2007
Undergraduate: Amherst College
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
After earning his undergraduate degree at Amherst, Ashley Ebersole was looking for a law school with a "small college" atmosphere where faculty were accessible - and he found it at Vanderbilt. "Vanderbilt provides a great atmosphere for studying law," he says. "I thought I'd never find professors more accessible than those I had in undergrad. Here, professors take a genuine interest in students, and the fact that everyone in the law school is in the same building on a daily basis contributes to the intimate environment."
Ashley and teammate Taylor Ford were the 2006 Bass, Berry & Sims Moot Court Competition champions, and during his 3L year, he served on the Moot Court Managing Council. "I'm interested in litigation," he says, "and at Vanderbilt, I was able fill my schedule with courses relevant to trial work without exhausting the options."
A native of Washington, D.C., Ashley plans to return there to practice law with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, where he served as an associate in Summer 2006, after serving a one-year clerkship with Judge Walter D. Kelley on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia during the 2007-08 term.
After his 1L year, Ashley worked for a boutique firm in D.C. and served as an intern with Judge John D. Bates on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. His experience with Judge Bates led to him to pursue a clerkship. "I was very pleasantly surprised by the interest that employers across the country show in Vanderbilt grads," he says.
Ashley emphasizes the important role student organizations have played in rounding out his legal education. In addition to his involvement in Moot Court, he was president of Vanderbilt's chapter of the Federalist Society and an editor of the student-run Journal of Transnational Law. He also appreciated the collegial culture at Vanderbilt. "If you come here, you won't be one of the people complaining to their friends and family about the hellish nature of the law school experience," he says. "Professors are always available to answer questions, and your classmates are eager to work and study with you. You'll actually come out of Vanderbilt and miss the school and the people."
