On Thursday, November 13, Blair students had the opportunity to connect with veteran finance and legal expert Ryan Class ’07, who came to the discussion with an open mind and heart. Throughout the evening, the alum recited his life’s biggest moments just as they unfolded, owning the fact that there had never been a master grand plan, putting the anxious students at ease. The event supplemented Blair’s Alumni Roundtables, a series that brings graduates from a wide range of industries back to campus to share their professional and life experiences with current students. 

With more than 12 years of experience working in both the finance and legal sectors, Mr. Class had no shortage of anecdotes to share about how he ultimately found success. Many of his stories revealed a pattern of events: While planning helps, it is often the willingness to try new things along the way that eventually helps carve someone’s path.

“I graduated college in 2011. It was a terrible time to go to law school to try and become a lawyer while the market was still recovering from the financial crisis of 2008 and '09,” said Mr. Class. “I put law off for a few years and got varying work experience, instead. Eventually, I went back to my interest in law school, took the LSAT, and applied all over the Northeast, ultimately choosing Boston University.”

Beginning his career within the finance sector as a rotational associate for World Omni Financial Corp., Mr. Class stayed within the finance industry for a little more than two years before returning to his legal passions, where he found his financial background came in handy.

“My first job out of law school, I clerked for the Connecticut trial court, where I worked for the judges, researching various decisions they had to write, helping them write decisions and reviewing general legal issues. From there I went to the Hartford office, a law firm of around 300 attorneys total. I did some product liability work in the medical device pharmaceutical sector primarily and it was good training, [then] I started looking for other jobs around 2021 and found an opening with Jones Day, which is a large law firm with [around] 2,500 attorneys. 

“There was a posting in their Boston office for somebody who worked on cases that involved a lot of the financial work that I had done previously prior to law school. I sent my resume off, didn't expect to hear anything back, but I got a call  a week later and the rest was history.”

Looking back on his career, he says he fell into the industry, trusting more of his interests and passions to help lead him to a path. “If you’re watching Suits or you’re watching ‘Name Your Legal Drama,’ it’s not going to be anything like that. 

“I was always really into English and history. I always followed current events and [that made] me think that law was a logical path. You’re reading a lot and you’re making a lot of arguments, so that helped push in that direction.”

As the evening drew to a close, more students found the confidence to ask for advice such as how to know whether law school was right for them. Mr. Class responded earnestly, reiterating that one should be open-minded and attentive to their hobbies and interests. 

“To people considering law school, I would recommend working for a few years after college before jumping right in. There's no rush to get into law school. There are a lot of people who take a year, take two years. I suggest you figure out what you want to do, have some sort of experience in. We had an intern this past summer who loved to ski and she was a bartender at a bar in [a ski resort town] for a few years after college. Figuring out who you are is very telling and it helps to have that.”

Additional visits with experts in their fields are scheduled throughout the school year through the Alumni Roundtables, offering more opportunities for students to engage with Blair graduates. These events will continue to provide students with insights into a wide range of careers and professional paths, fostering meaningful connections between current students and Blair’s accomplished alumni network.