This interview was conducted in Fall 2022 and Michaela graduated from GW Law in Spring 2022. You can learn more about what Michaela is up to HERE.
Michaela Thornton (JD ’22) is the 2021-2022 Editor-in-Chief of the Public Contract Law Journal (PCLJ). We spoke with Michaela about her thoughts on GW Law, her experience in the Government Procurement Law Program, and her plans for the PCLJ this year.
Interview With Michaela Thornton
Where are you from? Why did you come to law school?
I was born in Washington, D.C., just a short walk away from GW Law School. Growing up as a government and history nerd in Northern Virginia, I loved coming into the District for the museums and monuments. I attended a science and technology magnet high school, then studied public policy at Duke University. I always knew that I wanted to work at the intersection of science and government, a desire that ultimately led me to law school.
How did you discover the government contracts field?
After graduating from Duke, I was lucky enough to work at the Southern California headquarters of Esri, a geospatial technology company. I served in a technical role on the state and local government team, where I helped the City of Los Angeles and other localities adopt technology solutions to policy challenges. The more conversations I had with government agencies looking to purchase major technology systems, the more I realized that government procurement, at all levels, is a powerful vehicle for societally focused innovation. I knew before coming to law school that government contracts was a field that interested me. I knew for sure that I wanted to concentrate in government contracts at GW Law soon after attending my first law school event on sustainable procurement, where the issues discussed were exactly those I’d spent years thinking about.
Describe your experience with the PCLJ.
Working on – and now leading – PCLJ has been the highlight of my law school career. The government procurement community at GW Law is a vibrant and diverse group of intellectually curious individuals. PCLJ brings out the best in these individuals when we work together to write our Notes and substantiate, polish, and publish the works of practitioners and students alike. I am amazed and excited every day by the conversations I have with my PCLJ peers. I know that the rapport we’ve built with one another will last long into our careers.
Describe your note topic – what was that process like?
I chose to write my Note on sustainable procurement – specifically environmental lifecycle costing. Sustainability is extremely important to me, but early last year I was daunted by the wide scope of potential topics connecting sustainability to federal procurement. I ultimately was motivated to focus on environmental lifecycle costing by Professor Schooner’s advocacy and prior scholarship, and because I hoped that my relatively technical background could provide insight on the complicated topic. My Note is entitled “Perfect is the Enemy of Good,” originally referring to the idea that we must jump in and begin to apply environmental lifecycle costing to federal procurements before fine-tuning the details; however, this title just as easily encapsulates a lesson I learned through the Note-writing process. Scholarly writing is never as tidy as we want it to be, but bringing new, well-supported ideas into existence is an extremely worthy endeavor.
Any advice for new members of the PCLJ?
My primary advice for incoming PCLJ members is to remain as curious as possible. One of the most exciting things about being a government procurement student is the frequency with which the subject matter comes up in current events. By continually asking questions about real-world issues, discussing happenings in the context of classes or articles, and applying your existing background to procurement issues, you can gain a perspective on the field that goes far beyond the classroom walls. Always start educated conversations, always treat those that you meet in the field as lifelong colleagues, and always offer to help when you’re asked – you never know what you might learn or what connections you might make.
Tell us about your experience as a government contracts law clerk for Morrison & Foerster.
I am very lucky to have been working as a law clerk with the Government Contracts practice group at Morrison & Foerster since the start of my 2L year and cannot speak highly enough of my colleagues at the firm. Working as a law clerk has been a transformational experience for me. I am genuinely thrilled every time that an attorney provides me with the chance to work on a client matter; this experience has solidified my conviction that the field of government contracts is interesting, rewarding, and an excellent fit for me in my career.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in government contracts?
If you’re not at GW Law already, apply! And if you are, know that you have all of the best resources for learning about government procurement at your fingertips, if only you take advantage of them. Attend events; chat with students, speakers, and faculty; read online publications in the field. It is always worthwhile to ask someone to meet for coffee to learn more about what they do. And, above all, just be a kind and motivated individual in the government contracts space – it’s a small community and having colleagues who are willing to vouch for you will go a long way.