Nadine Cross Merry `00
B.A. History
Third-year Law Student, University of Pittsburgh
Barco School of Law
"My experience at Behrend was wonderful preparation for law school. I was a Schreyer Scholar and completed my honors thesis with Dr. Ralph Eckert of the History Department. His guidance profoundly improved my writing. He taught me to be precise, which is very important in law, as you are often pressed for time when in front of a judge who just wants to know specifically why you should win the case. Your writings have to be perfectly prepared and exacting.
Writing my thesis was one of my best experiences at Behrend. I was able to work very closely with Dr. Eckert, who was more than helpful and accommodating. My thesis project was completely original as I worked on a Civil War diary about which very few people had written. I truly believe that had I gone to a large school this level of attention and experience would not have been possible.
I would advise any high school or college student thinking about post-graduate education to seriously consider not only personal interests but also marketability of a degree. Graduate education is expensive and challenging. Being a critical reader and effective writer is a must.
As an attorney, the majority of what you do every day involves reading, thinking critically about when you've read, applying it to the situation at hand, and effectively communicating it. If you're thinking of going into law, make sure that you take as many courses as you can that involve critical thinking, analysis, and writing."