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Name:
David Banks
Residence:
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Graduation Year:
2002
Major:
Political Science
Minor:
History
Why did you choose SJC?
I chose SJC because I felt an almost instant connection to the campus and the people on my first visit. Those who attended as many college visits as I did know that you get a little more desensitized and disinterested with each new campus you see. However, that was not the case at SJC. I knew that it was the college for me.
As a student, what were you involved in?
I was the President of College Democrats, President of Diversity Coalition, Travel Coordinator of Student Union Board, involved with the Mock Trial team, and was a Resident Assistant for both Gallagher and Merlini Halls. As a defense lawyer for SJC''s Mock Trial team, I had to research the witnesses I was questioning on the stand and deliver closing arguments for the team, during which I was forced to think on my feet and recall important facts that were disclosed during the trial on the spot. At the regional competition, I received compliments from the judges because I was able to take key elements of the prosecution's case and use it to help my own.
What are you doing now?
I'm a second-year law student at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I am the Vice Chair of the Black Law Students Association, a Graduate Assistant for my university, and Coordinator of the Appeals and Policy Department for Blue Cross-Blue Shield, where I assist in writing position papers, drafting settlement agreements, and researching court cases and laws to determine whether the company's position in a case is legally sound.
How did SJC prepare you for the "real world"?
A typical day for me involves five solid hours in class and about 10 hours studying every day, and that doesn't include the hours I spend at work. But law school is about more than reading and writing. I have to be able to take the information I have and apply it to real life, and without the Core Program, which forced me to write extensively and analyze the facts I was given, I would never have made it this far in my educational career. The Core Program also helped me shape the ethics I hold as a future lawyer. For my last Core class, I enrolled in a section entitled "Christianity in Public Life," which encouraged me to evaluate my future profession and hold it up to the ideals I possessed. There were some hard questions that arose, and without Core X, I may never have thoroughly examined them. This has been especially helpful with my analytical abilities in law school, since my school integrates a number of Christian-based principles into our education.
My involvement in on-campus activities also gave me actual experience in the courtroom. One of my duties as the Vice Chair of the Black Law Students Association is to host the regional conference and competition, which includes the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. Most of the other chapters' members had little, if any, experience in a mock trial competition, but my experience with Mock Trial at SJC and my experience in leadership allowed me to successfully assist in running a strong competition.
