Interview with Professor Thompson

This week the Legal Beagle is back to hard-hitting journalism with an interview with Professor Thompson. Below is a transcript of our conversation: 

1. What is the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you? 

 My mom recently read me a note that my dad had left her a long time ago and in it he said, “It’s the little things.” And he went on to describe all the things that really mattered to him like holding hands with her and attending our “little” events, our birthdays, and long car rides with her. And he reminded her not to worry about too much else. I liked that advice. 

2. What is the most rewarding part of working with students? 

Their excitement when they share their progress and improvement. Sharing in that excitement really is a privilege and makes me very happy.  

3. Google informed me that you are a trained vocalist and were also a professional journalist. In your current position, how do you continue to use creativity and art? 

I hum in my office fairly often, but very softly, I hope. I need to add more creativity and art into my work!   

4. You work so closely with so many stressed out students. How do you stay so calm and supportive? 

I’m not sure I’m always as calm as I’d like, but I have a great, supportive team in Lorraine, Justin, and Brittany and I reach out to them when I need support. I also have a husband who is willing to listen to me when I’m stressed along with my sisters and my best friend who’s known me forever. We all need our support network. 

5. What is your pet peeve as an LP professor? 

I’m sure I have one, but I can’t think of one at the moment. I wish I were funnier in the classroom. 

6. Cats? Dogs? Both? Neither? 

I’ve never had a cat, although I’ve always wanted one and I’ve rarely not had a dog. So dogs.  

7. What is your learning style and how do you structure your own learning to accommodate your own style? 

I need to talk to myself about things and let myself “ponder” things so I try to be patient with myself as I work my way through a complex or even not so complex problem. I also need to write a lot as I think so I write down notes on pieces of paper and find these random notes everywhere. So I talk and I write and eventually I figure things out.