Thomas (TJ) Foley, a 3L at Hofstra Law, took a circuitous route to his law school career. While attending undergrad at Bentley University, he intended to be a finance major, but upon completion of his accounting courses, he knew that wasn’t the future he dreamed of. After taking a business ethics and law course, and getting involved in moot court, his interests were piqued, and he completed his degree in business management with a minor in law. Foley was destined for Law School.
Hofstra Law Activity Builds Legal Skills
While at Hofstra Law, Foley continued his involvement with moot court, and is a member of the Moot Court Board.
“I was excited to participate in moot court at Hofstra, and making it to the semi-finals with my partner – who became one of my best friends – was a great experience,” said Foley. “As a member of the board now, I enjoy getting to judge the competition and ask the questions to see the students’ minds work to come up with an answer.”
In addition to moot court, Foley also participated on the Journal of International and Business Law, and his note discussing banning direct to consumer media advertising for prescription drugs was recently published.
Clinic Experience Opens Doors
While in his 1L year at Hofstra Law, Foley learned of the Robert W. Entenmann Veterans Law Clinic, and decided to apply. Although he had to wait until 2L year, “Professor Samantha Greer was great and met with me anyway, which got me even more excited to apply the following year.”
Within short time, Foley became a clinic intern with the Veterans Clinic, where he did research and writing, and handled benefits applications and appeals.
One client, a Vietnam Navy veteran, had health issues, most likely due to exposure to Agent Orange, but hadn’t been able to get benefits on that basis previously. “The government recently expanded the area where exposure to Agent Orange was presumed, which allowed us to apply for benefits on his behalf,” Foley shared. “We also worked on a discharge upgrade for a 23-year-old who was wrongfully discharged from the Navy.”
“The Veterans Clinic was the highlight of law school for me,” he said. It was an opportunity to give back to people who have given so much – with a wide range of clients, from an 87-year-old veteran to a veteran in his twenties.”
In the clinics, Hofstra Law students work directly with clients as their points of contact, acting as their attorneys. Of the work, Foley added: “my clinic experience cemented for me
that I made the right choice in choosing a legal career. I had worked in a few legal jobs before and liked them, but getting to actually represent the client was a definitive moment.”
Army JAG Internship Helps Forge a New Career Path
Prior to working with the clinic, Foley took an internship with the Army JAG Corps at Fort Campbell in Kentucky during his 2L summer. He has accepted a commission to stay with the Army JAG Corps upon graduation and passing the bar exam.
During his internship, Foley rotated through four different stations, beginning with military justice, then client service, administration and combat team.
“The thing I like the most is the army team culture. They treated me well and showed me appreciation. It was a culture of people who cared about each other and wanted to see each other do well in every aspect of their lives. It was the best job I ever had,” he said. “I am looking forward to joining them and attending the Direct Commission Course in Georgia after I pass the bar exam.”
Of his future, Foley knows that the various experiences held at Hofstra Law and in his internship helped him become a more well-rounded attorney.
“My clinic, moot court and journal experiences have made me much better at research and being able to talk to clients in a professional manner,” Foley said. “My first phone call with the clinic was terrifying because I had never done that before, but by the end talking to the clients was the thing I looked forward to the most because I knew we were going to be helping people.”
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