Career Paths: Andrew Morales ’24L After graduation, Andrew Morales will join the law firm Huff Powell Bailey in Atlanta, Georgia.

Andrew Morales ’24L

Andrew Morales ‘24L is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Westminster College in Fulton, MO, where he received a B.A. in Biochemistry and Philosophy. At W&L, he placed as a finalist in the Robert J. Grey, Jr. Negotiations Competition, and he competed in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. He spent his 3L year externing with the Honorable Robert S. Ballou in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. Andrew lives in downtown Lexington and will move to Atlanta, Georgia after graduation.

Where will you be working after graduation and in what practice area?

I will be working at Huff Powell Bailey in Atlanta, Georgia. While the firm does not hire into specific practice groups, it is expected that those hired out of the summer associate program, like me, will at least work in the medical malpractice defense practice group. Medical malpractice defense is the firm’s “bread and butter” so to speak. The firm is not afraid to take cases to trial, as they have tried more medical malpractice defense cases than any other firm in Georgia. As such, it is also expected that new hires will be trial lawyers. Most associates work in multiple practice groups, however. I hope to also work in the appellate practice group and the products liability practice group.

Did you know coming into law school that you wanted to work in this field?

I did not know exactly what I wanted to do coming into law school, but I surmised that I would find interest in a practice area related to the sciences given my background in biochemistry. This helped me narrow down my target practice areas to environmental law, patent law, products liability, and medical malpractice. I also decided that I wanted to be a litigator, rather than a transactional lawyer, after my 1L summer with an insurance defense firm.

What role did the size and location of the firm play in the search and decision process?

Both size and location were very important to my decision process. As to the size of the firm, it was important to me that I found a firm that allows new associates to gain hands-on litigation experience. This tends to be more of a characteristic of mid-size firms rather than large firms. Indeed, Huff Powell Bailey is a mid-size firm, and it is not uncommon for new associates at Huff Powell Bailey to take depositions, appear at motions hearings, or even second chair a trial.

Location was also important. I met my now fiancée, Anne Rodgers ’23L, during my 1L year. She was a summer associate with a firm in Atlanta during her 2L summer while I was a summer associate with a firm back home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While I enjoyed the firm that I was with my 1L summer, I fell in love with Atlanta when I came to visit her. After that summer, she accepted a post-graduation job offer from the firm she was with in Atlanta, and I decided to target firms in Atlanta for my 2L summer.

Was there anything in your law school or summer job experience that confirmed this career choice?

I was a summer associate with Huff Powell Bailey during my 2L summer before I accepted an offer to join the firm as associate attorney. That summer experience confirmed my interest in medical malpractice and healthcare related litigation. I really enjoyed writing motions and briefs and found the need to understand the medicine in medical malpractice defense cases very intellectually stimulating. Probably most importantly, the lawyers at Huff Powell Bailey were not only amazing lawyers, but very fun people to work with.

What classes do you think are helpful to prepare for this job?

Any classes with substantive research, writing, and oral advocacy components are helpful for preparing for a career as a litigator. The required 1L legal research and writing classes provide a foundation. After that, classes such as Civil Litigation Practicum, Appellate Advocacy Practicum, Trial Advocacy Practicum, Law and Geography Seminar, and my Judicial Externship helped hone my written advocacy and oral advocacy skills. With respect to substantive law, a working knowledge of evidence is necessary for successful trial practice.

Can you describe the job search process?

At some level, the job search process is a numbers game. However, in my experience, writing thoughtful applications does indeed increase the yield of interviews when applying for jobs, especially when you’re able to articulate a connection with the position you’re applying for. For instance, in my initial application materials to Huff Powell Bailey, I was able to talk about my science background as it related to my interest in medical malpractice. This set me up for a successful interview. I also relied heavily on the Office of Career Strategy (OCS) for proofing my application materials and providing feedback—OCS was very helpful.

What are you most looking forward to about this job?

I am most looking forward to gaining hands-on litigation experience and learning from the amazing lawyers at Huff Powell Bailey.