1. Meet Samantha Ennis ’25L: Writing Burks Scholar

Meet Samantha Ennis '25L: Writing Burks Scholar Samantha Ennis enjoys helping students reach the breakthrough moment when working through a challenging concept.

By Law Communications
November 7, 2024

Samantha (Sam) Ennis '25L is from Sarasota, Florida. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in December 2019, with a double major in history and Organizational Studies and a minor in American Sign Language. She was a coxswain on the Women's Rowing Team in both high school and college and was a part of the first NCAA squad to make it onto the podium at the NCAA Championships in 2017. In her free time, she enjoys climbing, cooking, and spending time with my fiancé and our two kitties.

Her path to law school became clear after working as a legal assistant and paralegal for several years-first at boutique litigation firms and later at Amazon Web Services. These experiences demonstrated the wide and varying impact lawyers can have, and she benefitted from excellent mentors who encouraged her to attend law school and further develop her skillset as a legal representative. During her 1L summer, she worked as a judicial intern for the Honorable Curtis L. Collier in the Eastern District of Tennessee in Chattanooga. This past summer she worked as a summer associate at Covington & Burling, LLP in their D.C. office. Following graduation, Sam will clerk for the Honorable Travis R. McDonough in the Eastern District of Tennessee before returning to Covington in D.C. as an associate.

Why did you choose W&L Law?

W&L Law was an easy choice-after visiting the campus during the Admitted Students Weekend, I was immediately drawn to the collegial environment, small class sizes, excellent faculty and administration, and the incredible outcomes of W&L's recent graduates. My experiences here over the last two and a half years has consistently affirmed that I made the right choice in coming to W&L.

Share an experience, class, professor/staff member that has had an impact on your time as a law student.

It's hard to choose one! Among my most influential courses, Dean Wilson's Criminal Procedure (Investigations) course stands out, given my academic interest in Criminal and Constitutional law. Dean Wilson expertly guided us through the complex web of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendment jurisprudence.

Beyond the compelling subject matter, Dean Wilson challenged us to think critically and acknowledge contradictions in the law. Her approach fostered thoughtful class discussions that illuminated the practical challenges practitioners, law enforcement, and citizens face in navigating these constitutional complexities.

Why did you choose to be a Writing Burks-what are some responsibilities you have in this role?

Legal Writing was one of my favorite classes in law school. As Professor Allison Weiss was my Legal Writing professor during my 1L year, the opportunity to support her in introducing first-year students to the joys of legal writing and research was particularly meaningful. Moreover, during my first year, my Burks Scholars played an important role as mentors, and I wanted to pay forward that mentorship and support to our newest W&L class.

As a Writing Burks I assist in class, create and lead weekly lectures on the Bluebook and legal citations, hold weekly office hours to provide guidance on writing assignments, and develop and grade Bluebook assessments. Most recently, I had a ton of fun acting as the students' "client" during a class-wide client interview for the 1L's open memo assignment.

What do you enjoy about working with Professor Weiss and 1L students?

Professor Weiss significantly shaped my own education, serving as both my Legal Writing professor 1L and as my note advisor for my student publication in the W&L Law Review. It has been such a pleasure getting to work with her again now in my capacity as a Writing Burks.

Professor Weiss brings so much energy and passion to her classroom. Her love for legal writing is so authentic and contagious, it's hard not to have fun in her class. She is an exceptional instructor, and I have enjoyed learning from her how to teach students' concepts and methods of writing that they have likely never encountered before starting law school.

Building relationships with the 1L class has been particularly rewarding. The best feeling is working with a student and witnessing their breakthrough moments as we work through a challenging or confusing concept.

Anything you are looking forward to in your 3L year?

Getting to put the skills I have learned in law school into practice! It's exciting getting to represent real clients this year. This fall, I have enjoyed working for the W&L Office of General Counsel in my General Externship course, and I am looking forward to representing my first individual client in Professor Weiss's Parole Advocacy Practicum this upcoming spring semester.

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