Callan Yeoman '09

Hometown: Bowling Green, KY

The Particulars

Hobbies: Tennis

The Details

Why Saint Louis University School of Law? The School has a strong reputation within St. Louis and offers a comprehensive part-time evening program. Without the option to take classes at night, I may never have started my J.D. Now I have converted over to the full-time day program and plan to finish school sooner. I have really enjoyed the flexibility that the School of Law offers.

Your Best Experience at the School: Law School Family Day. Law school is a lot of work, and I enjoyed being able to show my wife how interesting studying the law can be. The Family Day gave her greater insight about what the program is all about.

What Do You Hope to Accomplish with Your Legal Education? I am favoring doing business transactional work when I finish my degree. I spent five years in banking prior to school. I would enjoy using my degree to continue to work in a similar environment. I am also open to the idea of exploring opportunities in business litigation.

Who is your favorite professor? One of the great things about the School is that all of the professors are very strong. They also are readily available to the students, which has given me a good chance to get to know several of them. I couldn't single out a favorite.

Favorite class? I really enjoyed both Property Law and Criminal Law. They are two totally different classes, but great in their own way. Property was interesting because it has so many everyday applications. Criminal Law was also interesting because in many respects, the criminal laws reflect our society's values. It was interesting to study the law from that perspective.

What has been your biggest challenge in adjusting to law school, St. Louis, or both? I switched from the part-time evening program to the full-time day program. The transition has required that I rearrange my reading schedule and other habits that I developed in the part-time program. This was tricky, but I think I've got the hang of it now.

What advice would you give students preparing for their first year? Make sure you show up for class and pay special attention to your professors' explanations of the law. When professors grade the finals, I think they give higher scores to those students who can discuss the law in the same manner the professor did in class.

Is law school really about using mind over matter? Law school is all about training you to think a certain way. Regardless of the subject, most classes emphasize looking at problems from multiple perspectives. There is never just "one right answer."

Advice

Advice on studying: Do what works for you. If you like to study alone, don't think you have to get a study group just because everyone else does. Time management is important, so you want to study in a way that is efficient for you.

What are you learning about law that you didn't anticipate? I thought it would be more black and white. It's just the opposite. Most situations can be addressed with multiple arguments, and the side that wins the case is just the most convincing.

Sound Bytes

One cool thing you've done: I took a trip to Italy two years ago. I love traveling in Europe.

Coffee or Tea? Definitely coffee.

Places to eat near campus? Nadoz Cafe. Love the sweet-potato chips.

Favorite Study Spot: Home

Favorite part of St. Louis? I'm a big fan of the Hill. I really like the restaurants there, and they also have some Italian grocers where I find great imported food.

What are the things every prospective student should know about living in St. Louis? I think St. Louis is a very balanced city. It has many of the draws of a large city, including good sports, good shopping, good restaurants and a variety of cultural activities. But at the same time, St. Louis is not so big that you spend hours in traffic getting from one place to another.

What does St. Louis have that you didn't expect? The St. Louis Cardinals. This city is crazy about them. I've become a big fan myself, and I really enjoy going to games. Anyone from outside St. Louis needs to see a game for themselves to really understand. They're a lot of fun.