From organizations to internships, Ryan Marquette L’22 has had the chance to explore different areas of law while pursuing a juris doctor at Syracuse University’s College of Law and a master of public administration through the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs—a three-year joint program that combines law and policy. In addition to his rigorous schoolwork, Marquette, a U.S. Army veteran and active member of the Army National Guard, also had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience last summer at the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, the Children’s Rights & Family Law Clinic and the Criminal Defense Clinic, gaining exposure to three areas of law in which he previously had little experience.
Among his many responsibilities were advocating for people who were deserving of veterans benefits at the Syracuse VA Medical Center, defending clients in criminal defenses, and working on family law matters, all while under the supervision of a practicing attorney. “This experience definitely increased my confidence as a future practitioner of law. It was reassuring to see that I could research, interpret and apply the law in areas in which I had limited familiarity,” Marquette says.
Marquette knew he wanted to attend Syracuse University because of its commitment to veterans. Between the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Marquette says Syracuse was the obvious choice. “Because of the amount of support that the University provides, it really facilitated an easy transition from the active-duty military into an advanced education. I simply left my network consisting of fellow service members and joined a new network consisting of military-affiliated students and faculty. I’m truly thankful for all those people that make that support possible.