- Law Student Profile
Andrew Turco: Comedian with International Interests and 2L
by Mahsa Khalilifar
by Mahsa Khalilifar
There is always something going on. I just switched to working the midnight shift. My first night there, I responded to a call at 3:00 in the morning for a student who fell out of a tree. I got there, and this was the conversation I had with the kid who called us:Born and raised in Boston, MA, this funny man has always been inclined to work in the area of law in some way. "I have always been interested in the law, but I never really knew that I wanted to be a lawyer until I was in the police academy in the fall of 2004," he says. "The assignments we read on statutory and substantive legal topics were really interesting." Turco graduated from the University of Vermont, majoring in English and minoring in Spanish. After a few years, he decided to go through the Lowell Police Academy, from which he graduated in January 2005. "I learned a lot of valuable lessons," the 28-year-old says. "The police academy is not nearly as funny as the movies. If you do stand-up comedy, it's best if the instructors are not aware of that. I would rather be set on fire than pepper-sprayed again (assuming there was water nearby)." Jokes aside, Turco finished the 26-week academy and now works as security on the MIT campus. Going to classes in the evening and working the midnight shift, he keeps busy with his full-time job and his studies at the New England School of Law. Although Turco currently goes to law school in Massachusetts, he hopes to transfer to a school in California within the next year. "The first time I ever really toured California was the summer before this past one. My friend Jeremy and I flew into LAX, rented a Mustang convertible, and drove up to San Francisco," he recalls. "We hit the Central Coast wine country, Napa, Redwood National Forest, and Big Sur. We met really interesting people. We called it our Thelma and Louise trip." After his trip to California, Turco got the sunny state's bug and decided he would make the move. This past summer, he attended the Fair Trade Academy at California Western School of Law, which validated his choice. California Western School of Law and New England School of Law are part of a four-school consortium with different programs that include study abroad and the Fair Trade Academy, according to Turco. The Fair Trade Academy consists of three courses: Introduction to NAFTA, International Labor Law (focusing on NAFTA), and International Environmental Law. "We had classroom time Monday through Friday. On Saturday we would tour different areas on either side of the border. Usually we would spend a couple hours in Tijuana," he says. "We looked at the maquiladora industry, the effects of commercial development on border areas, abandoned dump sites, and the living areas of factory workers." After his trip, San Diego was the city to which he decided to eventually move. "I had never been to San Diego before, and I loved it there…The director of the program was really amazing," he says. "I want to put this in terms to which law students can relate: not a single email was sent, nor a MySpace profile checked, nor a YouTube video giggled at during Cooper's class. I learned a lot about legal and economic concepts in South America. I am really looking forward to learning more about that part of the world and getting some legal experience there." As for his legal future, Turco wants to enter the international legal market. "The current plan is to take the bar in California and practice in Southern California," he says. "I am still in the process of deciding between international human rights law and international business law." He clarifies, though, that his decisions on the details are still being mapped out. "I am not positive what specific type of law I want to practice, but I would prefer something with contacts to South America. California seems a little closer, both in distance and mindset, to those goals," he explains. "Also, if I want to keep doing comedy while I am out there, L.A. is always an option." Comedy is a big part of Turco's life. He uses humor to cheer his law peers up and performs stand-up routines in and around Boston. "Last year, someone from the Women's Law Caucus asked me if I would do a routine at their yearly fundraiser. As I am sure you are aware, law school has no shortage of interesting people and 'what the...' situations," he says. "It was a blast to be able to joke and laugh about all the stuff in law school that makes it so nutty."
This East Coast native hopes to one day work for a firm that has connections to Spain or a South American country, where he can "take advantage of [his] background in Spanish." Turco plans to transfer to Cal Western next year. "I actually can't make the move until the fall of 2008 because my school has full-year courses, and I can't leave in the middle," he explains. "I think one of the big influences pushing me to California is that I never want to look back on life and say, 'I really should have done that.'" As for advice for future law students, Turco says that people need to be realistic. "If you ask a lawyer or a law student about the time commitment for a first-year law student, they might give you a figure of 30 hours. It is important to take this seriously and realize that is the norm," he says but indicates that the norm is only the amount of time an average-level law student puts in. "Thirty hours will make you a decent student, not a Supreme Court justice." Turco is hoping to graduate in the spring of 2010. "I guess it all comes down to the next big adventure. The longer I stay in Massachusetts, the harder it will be to leave," he says. "But there is something to say for 365 beach days a year in San Diego." |
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