SCIENCE + LAW

A passion for solutions led Justin Evans, ’19, to acquire his third degree – a Juris Doctor from MSU College of Law. Evans first studied chemistry, inspired by the work he was doing in a cancer research lab at the time of his undergraduate program. When he received his bachelor’s degree, he realized he understood the science of medicine, but he had much to learn about its effects on the human body. 

He pursued a master’s degree in cancer biology at Vanderbilt University and it was there, surrounded by medical professionals and researchers developing new pharmaceutical drugs, Evans realized the legal barriers that prevented drugs from reaching the people who need them.

“I realized if everyone’s making drugs, I can at least help them get it to market from the legal side,” he said. “I found my intersection of science and law.”

BUILDING A NICHE

At MSU Law, he built upon his science background, adding a wealth of legal knowledge applicable to his pre-existing skills. Evans discovered his niche in the world of science, law, and technology, and he invested his time and scholarship in order to establish himself as a key player.

Evans published a number of articles and research during law school. It all began after he struggled in his first-year Reading, Writing & Advocacy course. “Since law is all about writing and speaking, I realized that I needed to improve my writing,” he said. “I started off with blogging about topics I was learning in class, and applying them to my area of interest.”

To other law students considering writing and publishing work, Evans recommends writing about what is interesting to them in the legal landscape, “Not only do you learn the law better, but you also start becoming more engrained in the area that you’re interested in.”

OLD PROBLEMS, NEW SOLUTIONS

Evans’ involvement in legal tech programs and student organizations at MSU Law, as well his own personal savvy for social media networking and self-promotion, opened opportunities for him to attend conferences and symposiums where he continued to build those relationships initiated in the digital space. “It’s very interesting to go into a room and people already know who you are, because the conversation is different. You go right into what you’re interested in talking about,” Evans explained. “I noticed that from my 1L to 3L year, the conversation just became more fluid.”

As a recent graduate, he’s looking ahead to the bar exam and a new position at Goldberg Segalla in New York City as an intellectual property litigation associate. He’s got the support of MSU Law faculty like Professor Bruce Bean – who taught Evans’ favorite class, Business Enterprises.

“Jay is a real standout and an all-around brilliant guy – a hard science background, amazing previous work experience, and a great writer. He’s also a expert on the leading technologies that will shape the practice of law in the coming decades,” Professor Bean said about his former student. “His amazing collection of sports coats is also an inspiration to us all.”