Matthew Swazer is a third-year law student at MSU College of Law. Prior to entering MSU Law, he was a pharmacist for five years in Louisiana and Michigan. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from Purdue University, an MBA from Louisiana State University, and will receive his JD in spring 2025. He is from Waterford, Michigan.
I was a pharmacist for five years before entering law school. During that time, my patients often came to me with practical questions: “Why does my brand-name medication cost $300 when the generic is only $100?” or “Who determines what can be sold over-the-counter versus prescription-only?” I found myself increasingly drawn to the legal framework behind these questions, i.e., patent law’s role in drug development, FDA regulations governing drug approval, and healthcare legislation affecting patient access.
As I researched these areas for my own understanding, I discovered a passion for how law fundamentally shapes healthcare delivery and pharmaceutical innovation. This curiosity evolved into a desire to formalize my education through law school where I could develop the expertise to help others understand and navigate this complex intersection of healthcare and law.
The Career Services Office (CSO) at MSU Law was instrumental in helping me transform my legal career aspirations into reality. When I first entered law school, I had a broad interest in law but needed guidance on how to structure my career path. Through one-on-one advising sessions with Al Nickson and CSO-sponsored events, I gained exposure to diverse areas of legal practice.
A pivotal moment in my law career development came when the CSO organized an informational session about the Patent Law Interview Program at Loyola University Chicago. Participating in this program eventually led to a post-graduation position as an associate patent attorney at Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox in Washington, DC.
Upon starting law school, I recognized the value of getting involved in the academic related extra offerings. Currently, I am a senior managing editor of our flagship journal, the Michigan State Law Review. I am a student member of the American Society of Pharmacy Law; and competed in the 2024 United States Patent and Trademark Office Application Drafting Competition, Midwest Region.
While each career path is unique, there are fundamental skills and approaches that consistently lead to success in law. Moreover, connecting with legal professionals and learning about their diverse career paths has helped me better understand and define my own aspirations. This combination of practical skills and professional connections has not only shaped my career goals but has given me the confidence to pursue them.
By participating in networking events with legal professionals over the course of my law school journey, I have come to understand the "unwritten rules" of networking. At their core, these rules center around relationship building in a deeply interconnected legal community.
Developing relationships can happen during structured networking events and casual coffee chats. These should not be transactional interactions – but genuine friendships that take time to build and will last a life-time.