The Opportunities of the Lunch Hour
by Anabel Steele '25
One thing I really love about William & Mary Law is that there’s a set lunch hour every day for every single student. The last morning class ends at 12:45pm and the first afternoon class doesn’t begin until 2pm, so there’s a solid hour-plus in the middle of the day to spend however you wish.
Of course, you can always bring your lunch, but there are also many options to buy food in and around campus. There’s a café in the Law School building where you can get sandwiches, salads, coffee and more; but if you want to stretch your legs, there are more options just down the road in the historic area of Williamsburg, including the famous Cheese Shop. It’s nice to have some time in the middle of the day to walk around a bit, enjoy the scenery in Williamsburg and relax your mind before returning to campus for afternoon classes.
But maybe the best part about the lunch hour is the fact that every student can attend any kind of talk or presentation that may be happening on campus. Many presentations are scheduled for the lunch hour precisely because there aren’t any conflicts with classes. These presentations are often planned by various clubs and societies and advertised via GroupMe, Facebook, word-of-mouth and more. I really appreciate getting the chance to learn more about interesting topics and hear from incredibly accomplished speakers.
For example, during the fall 2022 semester the Human Security Law Center and the Criminal Law Society hosted an event featuring Dr. James Walker of Keene State College. Dr. Walker is a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies, and his talk focused on how ordinary people can commit acts of genocide. The presentation was outstanding, and I walked out of the room at the end of lunch hour feeling like I’d learned so much in just one short hour.
Another memorable lunch hour presentation was delivered that semester by Professor McSweeney, who teaches here at the Law School. In an event put on by the Legal History Society, Prof. McSweeney discussed the history of the common law, reaching back into the medieval period to explain how legal traditions started and endured over time. As a history lover, I cherished the opportunity to learn more about the development of the common law, and greatly enjoyed the presentation.
If the interesting presentation topics aren’t enough to grab your attention, though, there’s another perk to these lunch hour sessions: almost all of the sessions include free lunch. That’s a pretty major bonus for law students living on a budget!