Student Leader Spotlight: Five Questions

March 30, 2009Duke Law News

1. Where are you from?
I’ve moved around a lot (which, by the way, makes the Bar application process excruciating), but I call Tallahassee, Fla. my hometown. Tallahassee is the most beautiful city in the South. It is known for its canopy roads, southern hospitality, and the Florida State University Seminoles.

2. What brought you to law school and what do you want to do with your degree?
When I worked in social services, I saw firsthand that when a good lawyer walks into a room everything changes – people stop putting up roadblocks and begin looking for solutions. I came to law school to learn how to be that kind of lawyer. I’m not sure yet what that’s going to look like in my life, but I know I’ll be in the public interest area working for people who are marginalized in our society.

3. When you are not at the Law School, how do you like to spend your time?
I run for fitness, stress relief, and to get outside. I like to visit with my kids, Christine and David, who are funny, smart, caring, and amazing grown-up human beings. (Don’t laugh – how miraculous this is cannot be overstated.) When I make time for it, I love backpacking and camping because it’s so energizing to be on your own out in nature. Except for the ticks.

4. What are three television shows you can’t miss?
  • House
  • Friday Night Lights
  • The Closer

5. Tell us something about yourself that otherwise we wouldn’t know or guess.
I have that Benjamin Button thing where you get younger the longer you live.

Susan Pourciau is a third-year JD student. She is co-chair of the Law School's Public Interest Law Foundation and a member of the Duke Law Journal editorial board and the Moot Court Board. She has also volunteered with several pro bono projects, including the Duke Law Innocence Project.

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If you'd like to nominate a classmate for the Student Leader Spotlight, please email your suggestion to DBA.Leadership@gmail.com.
Susan Pourciau '09