Interview with an Aspiring Academic
“When I graduated from undergrad I had no idea what to do,” says Rebecca Haw, now a 1L at HLS. So, she sold packaging, took a variety of part-time jobs, worked as a secretary at UC Berkeley, tinkered with the idea of pursuing a PhD in English, and decided she wanted to pursue her studies abroad. Most importantly, Haw knew she wanted to end up with lots of options.While studying American literature in England, she held on an interest in law she’d developed at UC Berkeley, where she’d been inspired by a professor with a passion for law and literature. She liked the idea of becoming a legal academic. While in England, Haw took the LSAT and applied to law school. “The JD gives you so many more options,” she says. She was accepted to Harvard by late December.
“The flexibility of the degree allows me to change my mind at any time. I could go into public interest, I could go work for a firm, I could go work for the government, I could go into business; there’s a million things I could do.”
Now enjoying her experience as a research assistant for Professor Elizabeth Warren, Haw is still enthusiastic about legal academia and looks forward to a clerkship. But she also relishes having so many options. “One of the things I like about the path [to becoming a legal academic],” she says, “is that there isn’t really just one path.”
Podcast: Rebecca Haw (9:45)
