Patrick Rossiter
Legal Studies and Business Administration
"Why am I planning to go into corporate law?" Patrick Rossiter muses. "It might sound like a cliché, but I want to help corporate America act more equitably toward the average worker."
Patrick's interest in law began when he interned in a district attorney's office prepping witnesses, but it was his coursework that really focused him on issues of ethics and justice. "Classes like Political Justice expanded my understanding," he says. "That's what's great about the program -- it lets you look at law from the perspective of the whole of society, and that creates depth. And in my Applied Ethical Issues in Management course we dive into philosophers like Marx, Locke, and Adam Smith and relate their thinking to contemporary issues such as civil rights."
In addition, he notes, interdisciplinary studies mix perfectly with his business school curriculum, because they provide context for discussions of ethics, professionalism, and law: "I can apply business principles to legal classes and vice versa," says Patrick. His minors in writing and economics further complement his focus on an interdisciplinary education.
Patrick puts his newfound legal and business skills to use in a number of on-campus organizations, including dance troupe IC Unbound, where he's a choreographer and performer -- and the group's treasurer. And when the College's Residence Hall Association hosted students from 35 other schools for a sustainability conference, he played a central role in handling tasks such as budget forecasting and public communications.
Despite his involvement with many activities and social commitments, Patrick is still on track to apply to law school. "The most enticing aspect of a career in law," he says, "is that you actually fix problems and find remedies for things in the real world. You can see the consequences of your job as it happens."