Alumni Spotlight: Colin Emrich ’21L Colin Emrich is a Staff Attorney and Senior Judge Law Clerk with the Chief Staff Attorney’s Office for the Court of Appeals of Virginia.

Colin Emrich ’21L

Colin Emrich ‘21L grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in criminal justice. At the end of July, Colin finished a two-year clerkship with Justice Mann of the Supreme Court of Virginia and started his new position as a Staff Attorney and Senior Judge Law Clerk. He and his wife are expecting their first child in September. They live in Richmond.

Discuss your career path and how it led you to clerk at the Supreme Court of Virginia?

I came to law school thinking I would be a criminal defense attorney. Very quickly into my 1L year, however, I realized that I just liked the law—especially legal writing. After graduation, I worked at a law firm in Delaware but found the work-life balance wasn’t right for me. So, I pivoted. I started clerking for a state trial court in Philadelphia, and I loved it. I was writing a lot, sitting in court every day (though happily not at counsel table), and keeping business hours. My wife and I missed Virginia though, so when I saw the clerkship opening in Justice Mann’s chambers on SCORE, I applied and was fortunate enough to land the position. We moved back to Virginia a few months later.

What sort of legal issues did you handle on a day-to-day basis as a law clerk?

All kinds! To me, that’s one of the fun parts about being an appellate law clerk. Especially because the Supreme Court of Virginia typically has discretion to choose what appeals it grants, you get a smorgasbord of interesting civil and criminal issues. In the last two years, I’ve dealt with sovereign immunity, criminal evidentiary sufficiency, Miranda and Edwards issues, warrantless inventory searches, and the parole evidence rule, just to name a few.

What do you like about your current job?

I’ve only been in my current position with the Court of Appeals’ Chief Staff Attorney’s Office for a couple weeks, but so far, I love it! I’m constantly learning about new areas of law, and I’m writing all the time.

A highlight from my last year is attending Sessions of the Supreme Court of Virginia. I loved watching oral argument—some good, some less so—and hearing the Justices ask pointed questions about cases that I was familiar with too.

What are some practices you have in your daily life as an attorney to maintain wellness?

For me, maintaining wellness has meant choosing jobs that fit my lifestyle. I love what I do, but it’s not the most important thing in my life. My friends and family are. I’ve learned that to be at my best, I need to clock-out at defined hours. Not all law jobs are structured that way. So, I’ve prioritized finding roles that naturally align with my priorities in addition to my interests.

Looking back, what do you think is the most formative experience you had in law school?

Probably the 1L appellate brief project. Researching the law (our case was about defamation), citing a record, authoring a brief, and then arguing the case in front of a panel of judges was one of the first things that really made me feel like a lawyer. It also made me feel like I was in the right place.

Which W&L classes and/or experiences do you think were most helpful in preparing you for this job? 

Legal writing definitely tops the list (shoutout to the phenomenal Professor Weiss!). To my mind, knowing the law amounts to very little if you can’t effectively communicate it.

What advice do you have for prospective law students?

Consider clerking after law school. It doesn’t matter the court. Even if you only do it for a year, you won’t fail to become a better lawyer!

If you know any W&L alumni who would be great profile subjects, tell us about them! Nominate them for a web profile.