Student Spotlight: Joe Lipham, L’25

Why did you decide to attend the University of Richmond School of Law?

When applying to law schools, my main priorities were attending a school with smaller class sizes, an advantageous location, and several experiential learning opportunities. Richmond Law was one of the few law schools I found that met all those criteria. And once I visited the campus, I was sold. 

What aspect of your law school experience has surprised you the most?

Coming into law school, I expected it to be a highly competitive and individualized environment. However, I was surprised that Richmond Law has a highly collaborative and welcoming environment, coupled with professors willing to go out of their way to help students. It’s truly an experience unique to our law school.   

What does being a Hispanic or Latinx lawyer mean to you?

Hispanics comprise less than 6% of the practicing attorneys in the United States. As a child, I never saw or heard about other Hispanic people becoming attorneys. Being a Hispanic attorney means that I will not only be able to increase diversity in the legal field but that I will have a hand in bringing about the change in the legal field that I wished to see as a child.  

What impact do you hope to make on the legal system after you graduate?

As a former teacher in inner-city St. Louis, I often heard from several parents that they didn’t believe the legal system was designed to protect them or their interests. As a lawyer, I hope to advocate for those often overlooked or underrepresented in the legal field through meaningful and dedicated service.   

What interests you most about the specific field you’re planning to pursue? What sparked your interest?

The things that interest me the most about property law are the ways that it shapes our everyday lives and intersects with other fields of law such as environmental law and contract law. When I entered law school, I had no desire to work in the field of property law, however, as I learned more about property law it just really seemed to click with me.  

What specific class or professor helped you hone in on your interests within the law?

In the spring of my 1L year, I took Property with Professor Cotropia. He made property law enjoyable and accessible. After taking Property, I knew that I wanted to continue studying this field which ultimately led me to work in and research property law this past summer.