Megan Brown, ’19
Latham & Watkins LLP, Chicago, IL

For most of her undergraduate career, Megan Brown was on track to be a doctor or veterinarian. She got her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience but decided to pursue law after hearing a professor lecture on the regulations that shape the pharmaceutical industry. “I realized that the best way for me to effect positive change was through the legal and regulatory aspects of the sciences.”

Being a Darrow recipient and having private support fundamentally shaped Megan’s time in Ann Arbor. “A big part of receiving that support is having more freedom to pursue any career path because I am fortunate not to be overburdened with debt,” she says. “But it also helped me believe in myself, and instilled in me a sense of responsibility that I had to give back in whatever way I could. It made me push myself further.”

I realized that the best way for me to effect positive change was through the legal and regulatory aspects of the sciences.”

Megan joined the Black Law Students Association as a board member, spent her summers working at Latham & Watkins LLP as a diversity scholar, chaired the 1L Oral Advocacy Competition, stepped in as project manager for the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, and became the first African American to serve as editor-in-chief of the Michigan Law Review.

“Sometimes it felt like I was doing more ‘extra’ than ‘curricular’, but even with the benefit of hindsight I wouldn’t change a thing,” says Megan. “In the classroom, I learned to think like a lawyer. Out of the classroom, my extracurriculars helped me learn responsibility, leadership, and how to practice. The generous donors that help support all that we do at the Law School showed me the value of giving back, and I know that I’ll stay closely connected to Michigan Law long after graduation.”