This interview was conducted in Fall 2022 and Lucy graduated from GW Law in Spring 2022. You can learn more about what Lucy is up to now HERE.
Lucy Hendrix (JD ’22) is the 2021-2022 President of the GW Law Government Contracts Student Association (GCSA). We spoke with Lucy about her thoughts on GW Law, her experience in the Government Procurement Law Program, and her plans for the GCSA this year.
Interview With Lucy Hendrix
Where are you from? Why did you decide to come to law school?
Hi! My name is Lucy Hendrix and I am originally from St. Simons Island, Georgia. However, my parents moved to Southern California when I was in high school and I completed my undergraduate at UCLA. Like many other chatty and precocious children, it was frequently suggested that I pursue law as a career and in college, I began to take the prospect seriously. I was drawn primarily to the research and problem solving aspects of the law.
How did you discover government contracts?
I spent one summer in college interning for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and had the good fortune of being placed in an office near the Department’s attorneys. They were happy to answer my questions about their work and I realized for the first time all that went into running a public program. I have always been interested in working with the government and also really love the “behind the scenes” aspects of things, so government contracts was the perfect fit.
What has your experience on the Public Contract Law Journal (PCLJ) been like?
I loved my time as a member of the PCLJ so much that I decided to join the executive board! I really enjoy research and after writing a thesis in undergrad, I was glad to have another opportunity to explore a topic. Although actually writing the Note was trying at times, it was a fulfilling process and I learned a lot. I am looking forward to helping other students have a similar experience this year through my role as Senior Notes Editor.
Describe your Note topic – what was that process like?
I came up with my Note topic after a summer working for the U.S. Small Business Administration during the (2020) summer peak of the coronavirus pandemic. I had a front row seat to the administration of the C.A.R.E.S. Act, in both its successes and failures. I was surprised many times that there was not a better federal system for emergency management. From here, my Note topic developed naturally. Emergency response is such a big area that my biggest challenges were in paring down my research into something manageable for one paper.
Have you had any externship experiences? What was your favorite aspect of these experiences?
As I mentioned above, I spent last summer with the SBA. I have also previously done externship programs with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General. I have really enjoyed (and prioritized) working during law school to put real world experiences behind what I was learning in the classroom.
What did you do this past summer?
I worked in a mid-sized government contracts firm doing procurement and corporate work. I had the new experience of working on mergers and acquisitions of entities with government contracts – which I unexpectedly loved!
What is the GCSA? Why should students get involved?
GCSA is the Government Contracts Student Association. It is a great group because it brings together all of the amazing resources, both academic and co-curricular, for students who are interested in government contracts law. GCSA events are also not just for students who are actively pursuing a career in government contracts law, but for those who just want to learn more about the practice area as well.
Any big GCSA plans for this year?
After almost two years of virtual events, we are so excited to finally be able to gather in person again! Look out for a packed calendar of academic, career-focused, and social events. If you would like to stay up to date, please email gcsa@law.gwu.edu to join the listserv.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in government contracts?
I would mostly highly recommend taking advantage of the resources offered through GW Law prior to graduating. We are in such a unique situation to have a great government contracts-focused program at our own law school. At many other law schools, the students are lucky to have one government contracts course. I would also emphasize building your network as much as possible. The government contracts community is notably small, especially in D.C., and at GW Law, we have access to not only so many practitioners, but also the future of the field as your peers.