Derrick Morgan’s interest in politics took him from Dallas to Washington, D.C., where he served as a member of Vice President Dick Cheney’s staff.
By Derrick Morgan BA’99 Few things in life follow you more doggedly than where, or even whether, you went to college. From employment applications to introductory conversations, your alma mater serves as a credential. It helps if the university is well respected, affordable and in a good location. UT Dallas fits all these criteria. I believe, however, that what you learn and experience in college matters even more because it prepares you for what lies ahead, just as getting a government and politics degree at UTD has prepared me for my career and life. It was at UTD that I learned to write. Today I sometimes hear the voice of Dr. Judy Bundy, one of my government professors, saying, “If you can say it in six words, why use eight?” “Make it shorter.” “Say what you mean.” “Be direct!” I use her advice daily. One of the first times that I remember being particularly grateful for my training was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to clerk for the well-respected judge Sidney A. Fitzwater, now the chief judge in the Northern District of Texas. Law clerks spend their time reading case law and briefs and writing
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