Ana “Victoria” Christoff is a graduate of the GW Law School and the 2021-2023 Government Procurement Fellow and Visiting Associate Professor of Law. As she wraps up her time at GW Law as the fellow, we had the pleasure to speak with her about her experience. Victoria provided helpful insights for students and recent graduates considering a career in government contracts law and considering the fellowship.
Interview with Ana Victoria Christoff
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Could you please tell us about your position as the 2021-2023 visiting associate professor of law and government procurement law fellow?
As the visiting associate professor (“VAP”) and government procurement law fellow, I have various responsibilities. First and foremost, I assist Dean Tillipman with the administration of the government procurement law program. This includes organizing the program’s academic events; advising students on course selection, internships, and clerkships; and assisting with the administration of the program’s academic guides, checklists, social media, and the Government Procurement Law Program’s shining initiative, Beyond the FAR, our program’s new website.
In addition, I teach analytical writing (Law 6519) to students in our MSL program during the fall and the government contracts moot court class and competition (Law 6515) to JD and LLM students in the spring. As part of the latter, I teach appellate advocacy and writing and work one-on-one with the students, preparing them for the program’s premier annual event, the Arnold & Porter government contracts moot court competition. I also work with the competition’s student co-chairs, who take independent legal writing (Law 6656) with me in the fall to draft the competition’s problem and bench memo.
I also work with JD and LLM students who take independent legal writing with me (Law 6656/Law 6696). During the course, I work with these students, who write a research paper or a thesis on a specific government procurement law topic.
Additionally, I research and write on legal topics of interest, such as Federal Circuit jurisprudence and public procurement issues in Latin American markets. I also organize, moderate, and participate on panels on-line and in person on these topics.
Could you tell us about your career path and what led you to apply for the fellowship?
I graduated from the George Washington University Law School in 2015. During my law school career, I took foundational government procurement law courses and participated in the Public Contract Law Journal. I also competed in what was formerly the McKenna, Long, & Aldridge Moot Court Competition, the predecessor to the Arnold & Porter Government Contracts Moot Court Competition. Thanks to these wonderful experiences, I graduated with an interest in government procurement law.
I then worked as a litigation associate at a large, international law firm in D.C. and had great experiences, working with many top-notch practitioners. After some years, I left to clerk at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for the Honorable Marian Blank Horn. From there, I clerked for the Honorable Jimmie V. Reyna at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. I became even more interested in government procurement law during these years in the judiciary, with a particular focus on appellate work and Latin American issues.
At this point in my career, I wanted to explore these interests in an academic setting, with the time and freedom to deeply dive into issues. I was also very interested in teaching and counseling students, having very much enjoyed working with student interns as a judicial clerk.
So, after my clerkship with Judge Reyna, I started looking for academic opportunities. When the position at GW Law opened, I immediately applied.
What are some of the highlights of the fellowship?
There are several highlights! To start, I had the freedom to explore academic topics and write academic pieces I found interesting. One of my articles that I wrote as a fellow, and presented at the law school, was recently selected for publication by the Public Contract Law Journal. I also had the opportunity to contribute to some of the cutting-edge research my colleagues were working on. For example, Dean Tillipman and Professor Sope Williams, a law professor at Stellenbosch University, invited me to contribute a chapter to their upcoming book on anti-corruption and compliance concerning the anti-corruption legal and policy framework of Colombia.
I also participated in twelve substantive speaking engagements during my two years. This included various academic webinars hosted by the GW Law Government Procurement Law Program and other universities, as well as in-person presentations at the law school and legal conferences, such as the annual judicial conference of the United States Court of Federal Claims. Also, given my interest in Latin America and my language skills, I presented two of the twelve presentations in Spanish and in front of a primarily Spanish-speaking audience. This summer, I will present in Spanish at a government procurement conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Another highlight is the time I spent with our amazing students. Not only did I enjoy advising them on career issues, course selection, and general procurement law questions, I forged many friendships. Given that the government procurement community is close-knit, I am sure I will see many of them in future. I also loved connecting with our distance-learning MSL and LLM students during online happy hours. We had fun connecting over a cocktail and a round of trivia.
What would you tell a young practitioner who may want to apply for the fellowship?
The Government Procurement Law Fellowship is a great opportunity to explore a career in academia and become specialized in government procurement law. The fellow collaborates with leading academics at GW Law and abroad. This is a tremendous benefit. Our professors are well-known, well-connected, and more than happy to support the fellow with his or her academic interests. For example, I collaborated with Professor Christopher Yukins on several webinars and thanks to his mentorship and collaboration, I was able to meet with and work alongside top experts in Latin America on several presentations. Once I started to make connections, I was able to rely on the support and resources of GW Law to organize and host my own substantive webinars.
The fellow also works alongside Dean Tillipman and learns how a leading academic program is administered. This insight is invaluable especially for those interested in pursuing academia long-term.
Finally, the fellow can pursue an LLM in government procurement law during their two years. For those seeking a career in academia, or perhaps seeking to take their career to the next level, an LLM in this field will open doors.
What advice do you have for students or recent graduates who would like to practice in this field?
Networking is always a great thing to do. The government procurement bar is friendly and close-knit and often has many networking events throughout the year, including events sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA), National Contract Management Association (NCMA), law firms, the World Bank, judicial conferences, GW Law, and other academic organizations. So, students and young attorneys should make the effort to attend these events. Not only is it fun to attend but you never know if you will meet a future employer!
Also, especially for those early on in their careers, I cannot stress the value of a judicial clerkship, a time where an individual can sharpen his or her legal research and writing skills without some of the private practice pressures, such as the billable hour requirement. As I tell my students, please consider these opportunities! While they are competitive, students should not shy away from applying. There are several courts within walking distance of the law school, several of which hear cases concerning government procurement law, such as the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Also nearby is the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, which also hears cases concerning government contracts and which hires clerks.