Student Profile
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William Sentell
Class of 2008
LSU Law Student
Background: Third generation LSU alum; received a bachelor of arts in English from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota; worked as a technical writer for three years following undergraduate work; spent six months studying English literature at Goldsmiths College in London; elected to represent his first-year section in the Student Bar Association; semifinalist in the Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition; vice president of Moot Court Board; member of Chancellor's Student Advisory Committee.
Why Law School: I've always been interested in narratives and storytelling. Indeed, I studied literature in college and wrote for the school paper. I think at its most fundamental level, the law is a type of sophisticated storytelling. There's this incredible tension between the need for precision and the need for flexibility. That's what drew me in.
Why LSU Law: There were several reasons I chose LSU. Mainly I wanted to be closer to my family in Baton Rouge. I wanted a solid public school with an affordable price tag. Having attended a Division III liberal arts college with 1,800 students, I also wanted to be part of a much larger community. Finally, I was sold on the weather.
The Faculty: The faculty was great. I especially enjoyed having access to so many seasoned professors and so many young professors. The younger professors were able to relate to the experience I was having as a student because they had just done it themselves. It's hard to pick out a favorite professor, but I think Professor Edward Richards did an extraordinary job of bringing the material to life and showing just how organic and unrefined the law can be.
The Curriculum: I loved the mandated comparative law curriculum. I especially liked taking civil law classes and their common law analogs. It really allowed me to plow down deep below the surface and understand why all these rules exist. I'm convinced that the dual curriculum will make me a more adaptable, creative, and capable lawyer.
Future Goals: I will be serving as a judicial law clerk to Judge Kay Bates on the 19th Judicial District. I'm looking forward to walking the five blocks to the courthouse from my Beauregard Town shotgun apartment. I hope to land with a firm here in town after that. I especially enjoy real estate and bankruptcy law, but I don't want to pigeonhole myself yet. Mostly I think the Law Center taught me how to conduct myself humbly and honorably and how to read a statute.
What do you like to do for fun: I enjoy living in Baton Rouge and being close to my family and friends. I especially like running around the LSU Lakes, eating the best bar food I've ever had at Chelsea's Café, and waiting for the fall football season to crank up. I think right now there's more vitality and optimism in Baton Rouge than anywhere else in the state. It's a flourishing college town that's safe, green, livable, and fun.
