English B.A. '17
Tulane Law '22
Karolyn Eilertsen is currently a Federal Law Clerk at the United States District Court.
This Spotlight was created by Jeanette McKellar.
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"I still remember the collegial feel of the Tulane English Department. Everyone was smart, interested, and engaged with the world. I also still remember some of my most influential professors.
Professor Adams was probably who I connected to the most, and personal connection is always going to influence the work that you do for someone. Her classes were always relevant and talked about contemporary issues, things people actually think about and feel impacts from on a daily basis.
Professor Albrecht really pushed my writing stylistically. He would return an A paper covered in writing – and he is also a brilliant writer himself. He was a big proponent of writing multiple drafts of a paper, which I carry into my current job as a law clerk where I will sometimes produce six different drafts of one opinion for the court. I also remember writing a paper in Professor Albrecht’s class about how art functions in society. It was one of the first times as a college student that I made an emotional and intellectual connection with my work.
Professor White pushed me as a thinker. I remember completing one assignment that required students to discuss one literary device for each letter of the alphabet in relation to a piece of literature we were reading, and write an analysis of how each operated in the book thematically.
After I finished my undergraduate degree at Tulane, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I had a job in marketing and public relations for 2 years, but missed the deep analytical thinking I had learned to do as an English major. One day I had simply had enough of that job, and decided to apply to law school. I had virtually no idea what law school was about when I applied.
Law school required a brand new way of thinking, and there were several moments when I didn’t think I was going to pass. Anchoring my approach to law school coursework in my undergraduate English classes allowed me to shift my educational experience for the better. I currently work as a law clerk for a federal judge. I treat each case like a book I am reading; I think about the patterns I can extract from the text, and how I can distill my findings to communicate them to the lay and legal audiences in a manner that everyone can understand.
My undergraduate education helped me cultivate an appreciation for reading, writing, and thinking about complex issues. I still feel a collective solidarity with individuals I encounter who earned an undergraduate degree in English; there is a shared energy and connection between us."