Quinn Burket, Second Year Law Student

After working several jobs in politics, including working on a governor’s campaign for Oregon, Quinn eventually chose to continue his education and pursue his happiness.

By Adah Burket

Sitting across the large oak table from each other, our devices in front of us and papers scattered about, I’d glance over from time to time to witness pure concentration at its finest. This sight was an everyday ritual for us. Quinn, a recent college graduate, working hard at his first professional job. And I, fresh out of seventh grade, working harder to complete my arithmetic equations on Khan Academy. It is from that time that I can confidently say, Quinn put just as much time and effort into his unpaid internship then, as he does his law school assignments now.

After graduating from Denver University with a Major in International Studies and a Minor in Mandarin, with specializations in International Development/Human Health and International Security, Quinn worked several jobs in politics. “After college, my first job was landscaping for a summer. Then I got hired on Knute Buehler’s reelection to the house for his campaign. After he won, I was then the Legislative Aid for him. I was up with him since 2016 to 2018. All the way up to the governor [campaign].” While he enjoyed politics for a while, he knew it wasn’t going to be a lifelong career. And after working for a couple of years, he started considering other avenues.

When reflecting on how his previous work experience has benefited him now, Quinn was diligent to answer, “I am at a big advantage for a lot of reasons. One, working in politics and policy in the legislator helping to write bills, helped to read statues. It’s also a really high stressed environment where you have big deadlines. Especially on campaigns, these high stress environments helped me prepare for law school. And basically, learning to deal with all that and not lose my mind. Stay calm.”

There was no clear turning point when he started considering this path. But he had several friends already in law school that gave him insight and told him stories. “I was driving home to Bend one weekend and had always started thinking about law school. And I was in the car and thought why not do law school? What’s holding you back?” Although the subject of law school hadn’t been brought up before then, nothing felt righter.

“[I] kind of told mom and dad when I came back sometime in December. I remember driving over the path with a lot of snow. And sitting with dad watching a movie we had seen 50 times each. That was kind of it. Told my guys and siblings a little after whenever it came up. Pretty mellow. Not like a big moment.” Like much of this decision-making process, it wasn’t a huge reveal or moment.

Whilst studying for the LSAT, Quinn was also working full-time with Cheri Helt as her Chief of Staff. “I took a capelan test course that teaches you the structure of the LSAT and how to take the test. You can’t really study a test, but you just do a lot of practice questions. Sat down and timed myself and held myself to a strict time schedule. And then law school, is as working a fulltime job while doing that. When I was studying and applying all I really did was work and keep my eye on the ball.”

Applying to four schools around Oregon and the West Coast, it didn’t take long to hear a response. Willamette University, one of his top preferential schools, offered him early acceptance scholarship within the first 24 hour of applying. Having accepted the scholarship, he immediately withdrew his application from all other schools before hearing back. “Got a call from admissions office giving me a scholarship. Hung up and it then set in that I got into law school. It started to sink in.” There was a lot to celebrate, as the exciting news came in the early days of December 2019.

Little did we know that in the coming months, the world would be turned in and on its side. Classes started in a hybrid model in August of the following year. It not only took some time to adjust to online, but it was an adjustment in and of itself to return to school. “It was kind of weird. It was exciting because going to grad school was different because I made the conscience decision to do that, so I was excited about going back and learning again. But it was a bummer having worked for a bit and going back and not having an income.”

Into his second year of law school, Quinn will graduate in the spring of 2022 with plans to work some place in the west coast. “I missed Oregon and everything about this place. More than anything I wanted to be close to family and to go to law school here.” Often, law students start working near the places they went to school in. He has already attained several law firm jobs since attending school. And will spend this next summer working as a clerk for a local firm in Salem, Oregon.