Not too many aspiring lawyers would turn down admission to Harvard Law School. But Andy Stanton '01, a philosophy major from Great Bend, Pa., is one of the few. Stanton applied to twelve law schools, including Columbia, Georgetown and Penn, and got into all of them. So why choose Stanford Law from the stiff pool of competition? According to Stanton, the school offered small class sizes, a liberal, non-competitive atmosphere and the opportunity to interact with faculty are the qualities he valued as an undergrad at Bates. "I really liked the academic setting at Bates; it was one of the reasons I came to a small college," he said. "I'd like to continue in that kind of atmosphere."

Though Stanton, who describes himself as self-confident, detail-oriented and argumentative, seems well-suited to the legal profession, it wasn't until his sophomore year at Bates that he decided to pursue a law career. Through associate professor of Philosophy David Cummiskey's Philosophy of Law class, Stanton discovered an interest not only in philosophical thinking but also for the study of law. "I had never been that excited about a class before," he said. "I discovered that I had a real knack for doing that kind of work."

Stanton plans to combine his law education with his fascination for politics. Already a political figure on the Bates campus Ñ he is known for stirring up controversy as an Representative Assembly representative and a Bates Student columnist Ñ Stanton hopes to join the national political scene: "Politics is full of lawyers so one more couldn't kill 'em."

— By Jennifer Giblin '01