Multiple generations of Clemson alumni from the College of Arts and Humanities came back to campus to guide students toward future careers in law on September 21, 2026.
Attorneys Will Maxey ’11 (B.A. English), Michael Hirsch, ’13 (B.A. History) and Jessica Cooper ’21 (B.A. English) joined a panel moderated by Clemson University Jurist in Residence Gary E. Clary ’70 (B.A. History). Their talk was part of the “Degrees of Success” speaker series, which connects alumni with students to discuss launching successful careers from degrees in the arts and humanities.
While their Clemson experiences spanned more than 50 years, their insights on how to succeed in the practice of law shared consistent themes. One of the major themes was CAH’s first pillar: writing.
“The core of what we do”
When asked how their humanities degrees prepared them for their law careers, each attorney turned to the same topic.
“Being able to write well is a core skill, and when the partners see that skill, they say, ‘Yes, you come write this,’” said Cooper, who is in her first year as an attorney at Fox Rothschild, LLP. “Not everyone gets those opportunities so early in their career.”
Hirsch, who graduated magna cum laude from Clemson, credited the candid feedback from his humanities professors at Clemson with helping him develop as a communicator.
“The core of what we do — the ability to express ourselves — is something learned over time,” Hirsch said. “And you’re only going to learn that through the process of active practice.”
“I thank God for my humanities degree, because other degrees would not have given me that constant demand to practice those skills.
— Michael Hirsch ’13
Judge Clary said a lack of writing skills has been a key weakness holding recent applicants back from passing the bar exam, a trend that he and other jurists have noted.
“You can’t put ‘btw’ in your writing for the bar exam. Or ‘lol,’” Clary remarked. “You can’t write like you do on social media.”
“You’re not wheeling ChatGPT out there to start talking”
Each speaker noted that writing is a distinguishing skill for attorneys at all levels of experience. Maxey — who has years of experience as a solicitor and now as a partner of his own firm — also stressed that artificial intelligence can’t do the work of a lawyer.
“Whenever you’ve got to start an oral argument, or you’ve got to start a jury trial, you’re not wheeling ChatGPT out there to start talking for you,” he explained. “You’ve got to be able to think and speak persuasively, and this degree teaches you to do that.”
The panelists walked through the skills and personal work habits that make an attorney successful, ranging from responsiveness to email to honesty before a judge. Throughout their advice, they repeatedly returned to themes of how deeply they cared about their profession and how much their education at Clemson changed their lives.
Maxey pointed out that the legal profession is “an opportunity for you to help somebody in the absolute worst moment of their life and make a lasting impact on somebody that they’ll never forget.”
“Clemson was the catalyst,” Clary said. “It was the launchpad that projected me onto a career that I could have never envisioned.”
Both before and after the event, the panelists took time to speak one-on-one to students, answering specific questions about how to navigate the transition from college to law school to legal practice.
“Four major qualities I took away from this discussion were communication, honesty, consistency, and curiosity,” said Salvatore Distefano, a double major in political science and sports communication, minoring in legal studies.
“The personal stories and individual insights within the legal field still stuck with me even a week later,” he added.
