Our Interview With Zach Dowling, Student National Vice President Of The National Lawyers Guild

Zach Dowling is the Student National Vice President of National Lawyers Guild.

What inspired you to pursue leadership within the National Lawyers Guild?

I was inspired to pursue leadership in the National Lawyers Guild because I saw a clear need for greater coordination between our numerous student chapters. Each year, NLG student chapters facilitate amazing events and campaigns. I view my role primarily in helping the various chapters learn from each other and to connect like minded, future movement lawyers.

What skills can aspiring law students gain from joining an organization like yours?

Law school can be an intimidating and frankly draining environment. A lot of law students feel a sort of inevitable tension between doing work that benefits people and surviving financially. The most important skill that law students gain by joining the NLG is a concrete, directed sense of justice and belonging that helps them manage that tension.

How has this organization contributed to your law school journey?

I was familiar with NLG attorneys before applying to law school, and was motivated to apply in large part by them. Since I've been in law school, the NLG has connected me with a countless number of inspiring, hardworking, and principled attorneys that give me hope in the future of this profession.

What advice would you give to aspiring students currently on their law school application journey?

My biggest piece of advice is to find people who have similar goals and values as you. You do not want to be on this journey alone and you don't have to!

We're proud to interview student leaders like Zach Dowling to help future lawyers understand the benefits of extracurricular involvement.