Spotlight on Courtney Lemmond, 2L

Courtney Lemmond, 2L
Q. Where are you from? 
A. Originally I'm from Texas. Right now my heart is in Virginia, but if you looked in places from El Salvador, to Indonesia, to California, you'd find pieces of my heart, and they say home is where the heart is.

Q. What does becoming a lawyer mean to you? 
A. Haha. Becoming a lawyer means a lot less to me than continually BEING a servant. Law students, generally speaking, are very driven people. For me, as odd as this may sound, is a means to a very beautiful end. God placed an immense passion for the orphans, the broken youth, and the trafficked children/people of the world. I came to law school because I know that knowing the law would help add volume to my voice. Becoming a lawyer just means I have an added instrument I can use to make noise for the voiceless.
*See Proverbs 31:8-9 and Psalm 10:17-18*

Q. What do you wish you knew before you started law school? 
A. Very simply put, I wish I had reflected more on the fact that NO ONE I am EVER fighting for will EVER ask my law school GPA. It's important to do your very best with what you're given, but never compare yourself to someone else...law school lends itself to a comparison with the person next to you, or down the hall. Now I know for certain that I'd rather know the person than make a ridiculously arbitrary comparison to them. People are eternal, grades are not.

Q. What surprised you most about Regent? 
A. Honestly, I wasn't entirely surprised, but I will say that I am bountifully blessed, and permanently altered as a result of living life, and learning law, at Regent. I came across the country with physical limits, and I found myself in a loving family, and a fiercely tight community. I wouldn't want to have my name on a degree from any other school in the world.

Q. How is law school different from your college experience? 
A. In some ways it's not entirely different. I had some very rigorous professors, and they instilled a very intentional mindset with regard to studying, as well as living, in their students. My undergraduate experience was EXCELLENT preparation for law school, however, that being said, law school isn't like anything else, and almost defies explanation. The camaraderie is amazing because everybody is in the same boat, and we all encourage each other to swim.

Q. What is your favorite class so far and why? 
A. Seriously? How did I know I was going to have to answer this? Well, much to the chagrin of most 1L's, I liked Property very much, and as far as upper levels, I enjoyed Family Law. My enjoyment of Property stemmed from the fact that I always felt like I was being told a story, and it was a story I could understand. I had an excellent professor (Hernandez) and just loved it. Family Law is where my heart is, so I just really enjoyed being there, and I love Professor Kohm.

Q. What kind of law do you hope to practice after graduation? 
A. Family Law. Focusing on orphans, adoption, juveniles, and being a voice to end human trafficking.

Q. How would you describe the group of your closest friends found here at Regent? 
A. Intention is everything. I'm VERY much an introvert despite my great love for people, so I have a small group of friends that I very greatly love, and usually, my one-on-one time is spent with one of them, the rest of my comrades I just see in the hallway. I also have seven 1L girls that God placed in my life and a few undergrads too. If I'm not by myself, or studying (most of the time) I'm with one of those people.

Q. How do you prefer to study?
A. In order to study well, I have to have a block of uninterrupted time where I don't have to stop. That varies greatly depending on what day it is, or what I have to schedule with regard to meeting with various members of 'Alphabet Soup' or a friend, but once I'm studying, I try not to stop much until I'm finished. I usually study on my couch, or carrel #67 in the Regent Law Library.

Q. What is your favorite book of all time and why? 
A. WHAT?! This question is unfair! :) My favorite book of ALL TIME would probably have to be the biblical book of Esther, or the Biblical book of Ruth, it's a tossup. Esther because she was an orphan that God honored, turned into a queen, and used mightily, and Ruth because she represented selfless love, and is still representing today.

Q. What is your favorite bible verse? In what way does it speak to you or inspire you? 
A. I love any verse that urges people to be a voice for the voiceless. My specific verse for law school, though, is John 15:5. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Q. If you could meet with anyone alive or dead, who would it be and why? 
A. Amy Carmichael, because in her lifetime, she accomplished the things I want to see happen in mine. We share two very real loves: Jesus and the orphan.

Q. If you could have lunch with any faculty member or administrator at Regent who would it be and why? 
A. I'd like to have lunch with Dr. Robertson. I've met him a couple times, but I guess I'd like to tell him thanks for plowing ahead and starting this place for the glory of God. It's changed my life and I appreciate it. If we're talking faculty, I always like spending time with Professor Kohm.

Q. If you had an entire weekend available, what would you do in the Hampton Roads area? 
A. I'd go to lunch and the movies with Alphabet Soup, have tea with my dearest friends, cook dinner with the undergrads, fly a kite, let one of my girls teach me to kick a soccer ball, and run really fast while holding on to a couple hands because it's more fun that way.

Q. Is there anything else you would like your peers or future law students to learn about you?
A. No, but I would say, if you have reservations about law school, don't be afraid. God brought me here, and I drive on a scooter called the 'Hot Tamale.' I get along just fine, even though my life is different, I love it, and Regent is a wonderful place to gain community and family, no matter your background.

Click HERE if you would like to be considered for a similar Q and A feature on this blog.

3 comments:

tank said...

Cool. Nice job, Courtney.

Jennifer M. said...

You make me smile. :)

Jennifer M. said...

You make me smile!