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Matt Stromquist '07 Law Hometown: Iowa City |
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"Law is central to life," Matt Stromquist says, pointing out that even reading the newspaper is an act that intersects with the law. "It seems like most headlines you read deal with issues of law." An Iowa City native and the grandson of a respected lawyer in a small Indiana town, Matt always had an interest in going to law school, though he pursued other educational interests first. Before enrolling in the UI College of Law, Matt earned a B.A. degree in anthropology from Haverford College in Philadelphia and a master's degree in ethnomusicology from the University of Texas at Austin. As engaging as he found his studies to be, they lacked the real-world connection that Matt sought when he decided to study law here at The University of Iowa. "I wanted to pursue a broader area of study with real-world applications and implications," he explains. At the UI College of Law, Matt has been able to do just that. "It's not just about memorizing rote rules," he says. "At the UI, we learn about the intellectual process of law, and we learn to operate at a higher level of engagement." Thanks to private support for the College of Law, Matt has had access to a wealth of learning opportunities that have helped deepen his engagement with the world around him. For Matt, that has meant traveling to India, South Africa, and Switzerland to work in support of human rights, and joining with other UI law students in 2005 to establish the Iowa Campaign for Human Rights. Matt is also a student writer on the Iowa Law Review staff, and he assists William Buss, Odis K. Patton Professor of Law, with research in the area of constitutional law in America and Australia. In addition, he has competed to participate in the Baskerville Supreme Court Day Competition, an Iowa moot court competition established by a gift from the Raymond and Mary Baker Foundation. Matt chose the UI College of Law not only because of the in-state tuition and availability of scholarships -- he has received both the Viola N. and O. J. Elsenbast Scholarship and the Class of 1998 Public Interest Summer Internship scholarship -- but also because of the college's reputation for excellence in the area of international law, access to an incredible law library, top-notch professors, and classes that are truly engaging and satisfying. "There have been no duds," Matt says with a smile. "I've had an incredible experience at the UI College of Law. I know I'll contribute back to the program when I am able, to ensure that students who come after me can have the opportunities that I've had."
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