For third-year University of Idaho law student, Austin Beaumont, the idea of being involved in something that truly appeals to him is the reason he applied to UI Law.
Katy Kithcart | Argonaut
Graduating Law Senior, Austin Beaumont, studies in the Law Library. After spending three years at the University of Idaho, Beaumont prepares to leave for a job in Las Vegas.
During his time as a law student, Beaumont served as the chief managing editor of the Idaho Law Review, head representative for the Kaplan Bar Review, a Law Library assistant and vice president of the Idaho Law Golf Club.
Alexandra Grande, a third-year law student at the Boise campus, works with Beaumont on the Law Review as the chief symposium editor. She described Beaumont as a dedicated student who strives to do well both in school and in life.
“He doesn’t let the stress and the pressure of law school get to him,” Grande said. “I think that he’s always known what mattered and been able to joke and make people laugh.”
Beaumont said one of the most important things he learned during his time at UI is to be respectful to everyone.
“It was an environment where I figured out pretty quickly that I wasn’t the smartest person in the room and what’s more important is that you can get along with everyone and you can show respect for everyone around you,” Beaumont said. “It’s not just about what you know, it’s about who you know.”
Beaumont said law school taught him to be more independent, because he completed the majority of his work without help from anyone.
Beaumont worked for the U.S. Attorney General’s office on the Organized Crime Strike Force in Las Vegas last summer. Following graduation he will work there as a clerk in the Judicial District. In the future, he plans to work on the Federal Level, and someday return to the Northwest to work for a local firm.
“Austen has a lot more real life experience than a lot of some of the younger students like myself in law school,” Grande said. “He has a real world driven orientation and perspective that I think will serve him very well.”
Beaumont said he is satisfied with his experience in law school. He feels he has developed useful skills from both his classes and the extracurricular activities he was involved in.
“It’s an incredible time intensive responsibility but it’s by far the most valuable experience I’ve had in any college environment,” Beaumont said. “It’s prepared me for my job in ways I can’t even begin to express.”
Beaumont’s advice to future law students is to ask for help, and not to be surprised when upperclassmen are willing to show new students around and help them be successful.
As for graduation, Beaumont said he is looking forward to a new beginning.
“I don’t see it as the end,” Beaumont said. “I’m just excited for the next days of my life to begin.”
Arianna Anchustegui can be reached at [email protected]