KIRSTIANA PERRYMAN, J.D.’22

What led to your decision to attend UGA Law?

Two things led to my decision to attend: 1) Community and 2) Return on Investment. From the beginning, I felt like UGA could be a place where I could thrive academically and socially – the first thing current students brought up when I toured was the collaborative atmosphere, and to me that spoke volumes. UGA Law has also given me the financial flexibility I needed to be able to determine what work drives me and to pursue opportunities that align with that drive.

My experience at UGA Law lived up to my expectations. In terms of community, I have made some of my best friends in law school. I have had the privilege of getting to know people who will become leaders in the state and throughout the country. I have befriended— and, as a result, learned from and been inspired by—people with vastly different life experiences, interests, and perspectives. I am confident that the people I have met through UGA Law will remain my mentors, colleagues, and friends for life.

What was your time at UGA Law like?

I feel very lucky to have been able to interact with faculty as much as I did. Faculty members have made time for me to help me navigate my career path, discuss class questions or legal issues, and to develop as an academic and a student. I would never have known I had a chance of securing a federal judicial clerkship without the help of key faculty members like Prof. Chapman and Dean Barnett who alerted me to that possibility and supported me through the process. Dean Rutledge took the time as my faculty mentor to guide me and give me advice whenever I needed it. Numerous other professors did the same. I am very grateful for their help.

How do you feel about being a UGA Law Graduate and all that lies ahead?

I remain proud and excited to be a UGA Law graduate. I am currently clerking for fellow UGA Law alumna Judge Lisa Godbey Wood in the Southern District of Georgia, and after that I am clerking for Judge Scott Matheson on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. I am excited to be an active member of the alumni community and to support the law school in its efforts to increase accessibility to our institution and diversity within our profession. I have maintained the network that I created during my time in law school, and I look forward to continuing to expand it!