TJ Alumni Panel Series- Law School

​​Pathways to Law

​​Moderator/facilitator- Karen Fairbank

​​Guest speakers- Shay Adler '16, Margerite Blase '07, Jennifer Kott, Director of Enrollment at TJ, and Clayton Melton '06.

​Join us on Thursday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. CST on Zoom to hear about how these TJ alumni took their paths in law, what they learned, and what they wish they had known.

​Moderator — Karen Fairbank graduated from Washington University in 1971, majoring in political science with an additional focus on English. She worked for a year for John Hancock insurance and then returned to WashU Law School, graduating with her JD in 1975. Her first job was running a free legal clinic for senior citizens through the St. Louis Mayor's Office where she supervised law students from St. Louis University. She worked at two law firms before taking a job with Southwestern Bell working with economists and lawyers who appeared before the Public Service Committee.

​Guest speaker — Jennifer Kott, Director of Enrollment has worked at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Tulane University School of Law, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, where she served as Director of Admissions and Pre-Law Advisor. Jennifer enjoys consulting, counseling, coaching, and advising students about law schools, the admissions and application process, scholarships, and the strategic approach to getting into the law school of their choice. 

​Guest speaker — Clayton Melton ‘06 attended the Virginia Military Institute on a 4-year ROTC scholarship, graduating in 2010 and commissioning in the Army as an Infantry Officer. After ten years of service, he retired from active duty and entered law school. In May, he will graduate from Georgetown Law and join Milbank LLP’s Financial Restructuring Practice Group.

​Guest speaker — Shay Adler ‘16 attended Case Western Reserve School of Law for its International Law program. He received his MBA prior to law school. He was just promoted to the Executive Articles Editor of the school's Journal for International Law. Shay has also accepted an offer as a summer associate at a firm to gain experience handling civil law, including business and healthcare law. 

​Guest Speaker — Margerite Blase '07 attended Pitzer College, graduating in 2011. She worked in New York City for several years in the Ad Tech space before attending UC Berkeley School of Law. She recently graduated in May 2022 and moved back to New York to join Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as a litigation associate.