Andrew Bernie and Jeremy Kress aren’t the first from Dayton’s Jewish community to attend Harvard Law School. But to have multiple Harvard Law students from our area at one time gives us that much more naches.

“I expected everyone to be super-smart when I first got here and they are,” says Andrew, a second-year law student. “What was surprising was that they are also down to earth. It’s not like watching The Paper Chase. My first year was pretty much like any other law student’s year at any university. It wasn’t unique just because I was at Harvard.”

Having just gone through “employment market,” Andrew was bubbling with enthusiasm.

“Employment market is where we can interview for summer jobs during the school year,” he says. “It’s especially important during sophomore year because many of these seasonal jobs can turn into permanent ones.”

He spent a week putting on a suit every day, going to a hotel and interviewing while balancing all his classes. Then came the callbacks. Andrew said that Harvard cancels all classes during “callback interview week.”

“I then got to spend a week and a half  in New York and in Washington D.C.,” he says. “I had 10 callback interviews that I went to. I really liked virtually all the firms I visited.”

Andrew reflects that although his father, Dr. Bruce Bernie, and many of his relatives are in the medical profession, “I was never pushed to study medicine. I’ve always been interested in politics and policies. My parents were not as into it. My Mom (Vicki) and my Dad both listened to my rants and supported my views. I believe they would’ve supported anything I wanted to do.”

“Andrew was born an adult and was always intellectually curious,” Vicki says. “Whatever he is involved in, he gets passionately involved in!”

Having received his undergraduate degree at Cornell University in 2005, Andrew says he felt prepared for Harvard Law.

“I certainly think that my education at the Miami Valley School helped prepare me for college and now law school,” he says. He read the book One L by Scott Turrow, the turbulent true story of a first-year Harvard Law School student in the 1970s.

‘I like the material’
“Just like society in general has mellowed, so has this school,” he said. “My experience hasn’t been like that book. It wasn’t an extremely hard first year, but yes, I worked harder than I did in undergrad. I still hang with friends even though I have to put in extra time studying. The difference is that it’s not grueling to me because I like the material. I probably spend about three to four hours a day studying and two to three hours a day in class which still leaves some spare time. I think the vast majority of law students (at least if my friends are representative) are pleasantly surprised at the amount of free time they have. The exception to this is the two or three weeks before exams, during which I am studying all the time.”

Though Andrew isn’t actively involved in Jewish life on campus, mainly because of his busy schedule, he attended Yom Kippur services on campus. He is busy as the senior editor of the Journal of Law & Public Policy. He is also a research assistant for a professor.

Andrew lives in Hastings Hall this year but plans to get an apartment next year. Does he mind being this far from home? “I went to college in upstate New York so this is not new for me,” he says. “It’s actually easier to get home from here. I came home for Thanksgiving, but even if I can’t get home, they’ll come here. I’ll always work in family.”

Jeremy says his first year has treated him very well. “It’s very different than most people perceive, and what you see in movies and books,” he says. He explains that Harvard has revolutionized the first-year law student experience. For instance, Jeremy has been participating in a first-year reading group. This experience brings about 40 professors together who have agreed to host reading groups in one of their areas of interest. Eight to 10 first-year students go to the professor’s home along with their group and discuss a reading that they have been assigned. “This get-together would never have happened 20 to 30 years ago,” Jeremy says.

Public service important
“My perception (of Harvard Law) was much different before I got here,” he says. “I’m not in a library 16 hours a day. I don’t have to race to keep up because, even though my classmates are brilliant, academics are not the only thing they do. Public service is now a big emphasis.”

Jeremy, the son of Marcia and Ed Kress, believes Harvard is the premier law school for public service. He has become active with the Harvard Law School Democrats group. Not only is he getting a law degree, but Jeremy will receive a master’s in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government. He is able to obtain both these degrees in four years.

Jeremy would like to end up in Washington D.C. working in government public interest.
He became interested in public policy and law while helping out during Rick Carne’s congressional campaign in 2002.

“Jeremy was very motivated growing up and was always deeply passionate about politics,” his mother, Marcia, says. “His defining moment came when he took a semester off his sophomore year to work in Congressman Sherrod Brown’s office.”

“This is how I got the political bug,” Jeremy says. “I saw how law and politics are inextricable.” Now, his passion for politics consumes him just as much as Michigan football.

“Everyone strongly cautioned me against holding down a job my first year as a law student,” he says. Now, he is looking for summer employment.

When asked what words of wisdom he would give to anyone thinking of going to Harvard Law, he says, “Don’t be overwhelmed.” He does wish he had developed more relationships with professors during his undergraduate studies at Michigan. “It becomes clearer when applying to law schools that you need liaisons. Make it a priority early.”

Jeremy attends Havurah on the Hill at Vilna Shul (www.vilnashul.com), the oldest synagogue in downtown Boston.

“Once a month, they hold a young professionals Friday night service with a notable social activist speaker,” he says. “(This is) a good way to stay connected to the Jewish community.”  Jeremy went to Harvard’s Hillel for High Holy Days services and attends an occasional Friday night dinner there.

“Participating in BBYO in Dayton was without question one of the formative experiences in my life,” he says. “As an active member of Weprin-Kadima, I learned life skills by interacting with and leading other Jewish youth that continue to shape who I am. Plus, it’s always fun to run into people I knew from way back in high school. I never know when it’s going to happen!”

Does he have any connections with his fellow Daytonians? Jeremy says that hardly a week goes by that he doesn’t run into Andrew Bernie. “Andrew is always there for advice on classes. It’s nice to know someone is here with a common background.”

Editor’s note: One other student from Dayton’s Jewish community also attends Harvard Law; this third student requested not to be included in this piece, for privacy’s sake.