Career Paths: Sydney Layne ’25L After graduation, Sydney Layne will join Troutman Pepper Locke in their Houston office.

Sydney Layne ’25L

Sydney Layne ‘25L is from Rockville Centre, New York. She earned her B.A. in foreign affairs and economics from the University of Virginia. Prior to law school, she worked in communications in New York City, with a short stint as a freelance writer. At W&L Law, Sydney is the Co-President of the Women Law Students Organization, Co-President of the Environmental Law Society, and Programs Editor for the German Law Journal. She also serves as a Rachford Fellow to the Office of Career Strategy, a Research Assistant to Professor Carrie Stanton, and a Law Ambassador to the Admissions Office. Outside of the Law School, Sydney enjoys walking the Chessie and other nearby trails and shopping at the local farmers’ market.

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

I will be joining Troutman Pepper Locke this Fall in their Houston office. During my past two summers with Locke Lord (pre-merger), I have worked primarily on energy, environmental, and general corporate law matters within the transactional and regulatory practices.

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

I came into law school with a general idea of my interests, including environmental law, policy, and business law, although I was not sure exactly where that would take me. I was thrilled to land an internship working at the intersection of these areas as a 1L and have continued to pursue these areas since.

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

I was initially unsure of exactly where I wanted to practice after graduation. This was a major driving factor for my decision to attend W&L Law, since the school has a wide reach and strong alumni network in most major legal markets on the east coast and throughout the southern U.S. Ultimately, personal factors determined the location. The size of the firm was another key consideration. I explored and interviewed with firms of all sizes before determining Locke’s Houston office was the right fit for my personal and professional goals.

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

I had positive experiences during both summers I spent with Locke, encouraging me to return following graduation. I have had great mentors so far and hope to continue learning from them about the areas of law that interest me most. I’m not sure that learning in the classroom can truly prepare you for life as an associate at a bigger law firm, but the practical courses I have taken during my time here have guided my career choice and opened my eyes to legal opportunities I was not aware of when entering law school. Law school can feel so intense at times, but conversations with firms and professor mentors reminded me why I want to do this work and helped shape my goals.

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

Administrative Law is crucial to working with regulated industries and understanding the overall framework within which our government and businesses operate. I highly recommend it to all law students, regardless of what work they will be doing. The Environmental Litigation Practicum taught me a ton about key federal environmental statutes and how they interact with the energy sector, while enhancing my written and oral advocacy skills. Finally, Business Associations is important for understanding the general corporate landscape.

Can you describe the job search process?

I networked as much and as early on as my 1L schedule would allow. Because I was not familiar with the geographic region and legal market, talking to attorneys in a variety of practice areas and firms throughout Houston was informative. I created a list of alumni to “cold call” with the help of the Office of Career Strategy and our online recruiting tools. As I had conversations with each, I was also tailoring my list of potential targets. From there, I applied in the latter half of the fall semester, with most of my interviews taking place in late December and early January. After my first summer at Locke Lord, I was offered to return for the following summer and have stayed since. Many students also interview for their 2L summer position right before starting or during the early stages of their 1L summer internship, but I ultimately decided to stay put.

What are you most looking forward to about this job?

Continuing to work with and learn from the attorneys who have guided my legal career thus far and getting to tackle longer-term projects with tangible results. It’s a very interesting time to be entering the legal field generally, but I am looking forward to engaging with complex regulatory and transactional issues, especially those that require strategic problem-solving across evolving areas of law and policy.