Professor G.
Edward White will be teaching Defamation, Judicial Role in American
History, Torts, and Business and Government Tort Liability this year.
Where are you from originally?
I am originally from New York/New England. Before I
interviewed for a position at UVA Law in 1972 I had never been in the state of
Virginia (other than occasionally crossing over the District of Columbia line).
What is your favorite memory of law
school?
My favorite memory of law school is when I saw the examination in a law and
economics course at Harvard and realized that it had been based on a practice
exercise that another student and I, in preparing for the exam, had taken
together.
If you could meet any person — dead or living — for
a cup of coffee, whom would it be?
I would like to
meet Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes.
What do you like most about being
a professor?
I like absolutely
everything about being a professor except grading exams. I hate grading exams,
even though one might have thought that after 43 years of teaching in a law
school I would have made peace with the exercise. I have not.
What’s the most important thing a
law student should consider when looking for their first job out of school?
The single most
important thing a law student should consider in looking for a first job is the
location and size of the law firm. Unlike the legal academy or many other
careers, most lawyers don’t change their location over their careers. They may
change what they do, but rarely will they move to another city or region. Also,
there is a huge difference between large and small firm practice, and one
should have a good sense about the costs and benefits of each.
What’s your favorite spot in
Charlottesville, and why?
My favorite spot in
Charlottesville is my home, where I live, do most of my work, and have raised
my children.
More in this series