Vermont Law Student Brian Tweedie Plans to be a Land Conservation Attorney

Personal Life

Brian Tweedie is a third year law student at Vermont and anticipates a May 2013 graduation. He plans on becoming a land use attorney who specializes in land conservation work. The student expressed how he “would like to learn more about natural resources and western water law because they are tied to and greatly affect property.” Brian expects to achieve his career goal by researching and gaining legal experience in these areas of law.


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He was born and raised in Wheaton, Illinois, which is a community of 55,000 residents located west of Chicago. The third year law student attended The Ohio State University, where he earned a B.S. in Biology. Brian was eager to go to Ohio State because he wanted a “big school vibe,” and loved the many opportunities provided by a Big Ten school. While at college, Brian received a Politics, Society and Law Scholarship and was President of the Ohio State Disc Golf Club. He also worked as a laboratory assistant at the Department of Chemistry.

At Vermont Law School, he currently participates in the Environment Law Society, Student Ambassador Program, VLS Ice Hockey, Themis Bar Review Representative, and the Arborist Society.

Brian enjoys live music, skiing, hiking, camping, entomology, disc golf, and watching the Buckeyes rolling over their next opponent. He's seen the Rolling Stones three times in Chicago and stated they are “definitely a must see in 2013.” The law student has hiked, camped or skied at Rocky Mountain National Park, Camel's Hump Mountain in Vermont, Copper Mountain in Colorado, and Killington Mountain in Vermont.

The future attorney has traveled to Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, and has experienced several U.S. road trips. His most memorable trip was when he had the opportunity to ski at Lake Tahoe. He recalled that the lake “is so clear, deep and beautiful and the mountains are astounding.”

Brian has one older brother, Eric, who he “looks up to.” He gave credit to his brother for his crafting and hand skills. The Ohio State graduate's favorite restaurant is Gino's East, a Chicago-based restaurant chain, known for their deep-dish pizza. One of Brian's favorite books is Eric Clapton's autobiography.

Brian's Academic Law Career and Future Aspirations

Brian was asked why he went into the law. The student responded, “I went into law because I was a strong reader and writer along with having a passion for nature and the environment. As a result, I majored in biology, but I felt that my interests and abilities were better suited in a legal setting in order to accomplish my goals of protecting the environment.” The Ohio State alumni continued to say, “I also find the law fascinating because it is an endless collection of evolving materials that allows for so many different practice areas and specialties.”

The avid Buckeyes fan revealed he wanted to go to law school since he was an undergraduate. Brian became interested in the law after he went to a national leadership program in Washington D.C., where he attended legal classes and talked to attorneys. He asserted, “I knew I was going to law school after Ohio.”

What are Brian's key achievements? He said, “Writing my Advanced Writing Requirement (AWR) on natural resource takings of conservation easements, finishing appellate advocacy, and passing organic chemistry.”

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Brian discussed his internship program at Colorado Open Lands. He stated, “I interned over the summer at Colorado Open Lands, a nonprofit land trust where my presence at work allowed me to make connections with landowners who were donating their land for a great cause and the wonderful staff members who devoted their life to conservation work.” The law student described his duties and responsibilities while at COL. The land conservationist “prepared documents for and attended closings, conducted due diligence review of properties, and researched land trust governing laws and regulations to ensure that COL's policies were consistent with state, federal and LTA requirements. I also participated in the drafting and review of conservation easements to tailor both landowner and conservation needs alike.”

What got Brian interested in land conservation and how do you donate land? He admitted that his dad was an outdoors person and created a wildlife habitat in the backyard of their home. That environment, combined with Brian's passion for hiking and camping, persuaded him to take land conservation law courses in a beautiful nature state, Vermont.

The promising law student made it clear that almost any individual can donate their property if it possesses conservation values. He explained how state and federal legislation permitted residents to donate their land and in return receive tax benefits for their contribution. Brian noted that if an individual wishes to keep their property in its natural state, especially productive agricultural lands, that person should consider donating a conservation easement. The knowledgeable student said there are land trusts nationwide that work with landowners to protect their land through conservation easements.

The third year law student was also busy participating in an externship program. Brian is currently involved in Vermont Law's Semester in Practice program at The Nature Conservancy in Boulder, CO. He declared, “I am involved with land conservation through drafting and review of conservation and access easements, leases, purchase and sales contracts, surface use agreements and due diligence documents. I am integral in drafting documents and providing legal research to deal with the various legal issues that affect land conservation.”

Brian is an accepted member of Vermont Law's General Practice Program (GPP). The GPP develops students' professional skills by taking a variety of practice areas in a simulated law firm setting. Throughout the program, students learn and practice a variety of skills: drafting, counseling, interviewing, mediation, negotiation, oral argument, and pre-trial preparation. Brian pointed out that the program “is a great interactive opportunity for learning the law in a practical setting.”

So what are Brian's key strengths and skills that he would like to leverage upon to advance his career goals? He replied, “My willingness to help, friendly disposition, my ability to collaborate with others to solve problems, my positive attitude, legal knowledge, experience, skills and enthusiasm for the environment and land use.”

The environmentalist spoke about his weaknesses and what he needed to do to improve on them. He said, “I have the tendency to become excited with new opportunities and assignments that I rush to complete any present tasks. I would like to concentrate on pacing myself and always performing to my highest potential.”

Many readers are probably wondering how Brian handles new assignments. The straightforward student shared his process. Brian started “by breaking down the assignment to very basic elements. This includes incorporating the deadline into a schedule, creating a plan from beginning to end, ensuring that I know all the relevant facts, and then beginning preliminary research.” The well-organized student even jots everything down on paper before he moves on to his next task. He stated, “I write down everything that I am thinking before I proceed to the next step. New assignments tend to boost my enthusiasm and get me excited about the potential for gaining valuable experience.”

With all of Brian's hard work, dedication, extracurricular activities, internship, and externship experience, he must be a very positive individual. Where does he derive his confidence? He acknowledged, “I derive my confidence from my enthusiastic and positive outlook on life. By accepting my strengths and weaknesses, being grateful for the opportunities given and remaining satisfied with everything I have accomplished in life, it is easy to be confident in myself. This mentality allows me to be confident in the work I do and the relationships I have, knowing that I am truly doing my best.”

Although Brian hasn't decided what state he will take the bar exam in, he is currently affiliated with the Colorado Bar Association as a student member. He certainly plans to utilize his positive attitude, which will help guide him when he practices and specializes in environmental, land use, real estate, and land conservation law.

Three Whishes to Live By, Priority Outside of Work, Stress Management Tactics, and Coping with Fear

If Brian had three wishes he would ask for eternal happiness, for his law school debt to be forgiven, and the ability to teleport to any location on Earth “so I can travel on my free time.”

The law student expressed his top priority outside of work, which he said is “Making connections in the land conservation and legal community in addition to applying for post-graduate jobs.” Brian stressed he would like to spend more time with his friends and fellow Vermont law students. He is attracted to “compassionate and unselfish people, people with a sense of humor” and likes to avoid people who are “confrontational or close-minded.”

When Brian is overwhelmed or is looking to ease his stress he likes to incorporate meditation, music, and exercise in his life. He announced, “Taking time to reflect on what stressors are present in my life is very helpful. From there I can come up with solutions to eliminate the stress, whether it is changing my routine or avoiding certain situations.”

How does Brian deal with fear? The student said, “Unfortunately, my first instinct is to avoid it. However, when it must be faced, I usually attempt to put fear in perspective which tends to show how irrational the fear is to begin with.” He's worried about what his future holds for him. Brian stated, “Where am I going to be? I am moving away from school and entering the work world.” He's just like any other human being who feels anxious about where they will end up.

Legal Role Models, Volunteer Experience, Favorite Quote

Brian mentioned four legal role models he respects greatly: Stephen Small, Bernard Cohen, John Echeverria and Dwight Merriam. He admires Small because of his efforts and publications in conservation law. The Vermont law student has high esteem for Cohen, who fought for plaintiffs Richard and Mildred Loving in the landmark case of Loving v. Virginia before the Supreme Court of the United States. Cohen convinced the highest court in the land to ban state laws against interracial marriages. Brian also looks up to his professors, Echeverria and Merriam. Both professors are involved in land and property issues and Brian said they “make you excited about what you do.” He also added that “...they project their passion for the law onto students.”

The loyal Buckeyes fan has devoted his time to volunteering for environmental cleanup work. After Hurricane Irene devastated the east coast, including South Royalton, Vermont, Brian spent his time cleaning up the White River. He vividly remembers how the rain took down bridges and he saw parts of “cars, refrigerators, and homes in the river.” In 2010, the law student sorted recyclable material from trashcans and promoted recycling awareness as part of the Summercamp Festival Green Team, which was held in Chillicothe, IL. Brian participated in the recycling program over the course of the weekend.

The student's favorite quote is by John Lennon: “Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.” Brian said he has listened to Lennon and The Beatles since he was little and believes the quote “captures the unpredictable aspects of life.”

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