Samantha Cohn
Samantha Cohn grew up in the Tidewater Region of Virginia, was a Graduate with Distinction from the Department of History, and enrolled in law school on the Litigation Track at the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During her time at the Shepard Broad Law Center Samantha was the Director of the Inter-American Center for Human Rights as well as a Gold Level Member of the Pro Bono Honors Program. She was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 2015, and her practice concentrations are civil litigation and insurance subrogation. Samantha is married and has a son.
What do you like the most about your work and professional activities right now?
I really enjoy the concepts of fairness and justice. Doing the right thing just because it's right, regardless of sides. I enjoy the logic and rationale in creating, devising, and presenting legal arguments. The novelty in approaching a case from a different and innovative perspective.
Did your history studies help you as a law student?
I believe my history studies were invaluable as a law student. Constitutional law is one of the cornerstone foundational classes of law school and having the background knowledge of the people, places, and events that led to the landmark cases we studied such as Loving v. Virginia and Brown v. Board of Education really put everything in context. The cases were more real. Having that knowledge of said context assisted me in truly understanding and grasping not only the basis for the cases but also the rationale for the decisions that resulted.
What skills and intellectual experiences did you acquire in the histo ry program at ODU that have served you well in your subsequent work?
First and foremost the writing skills the history program imparted on me have been incalculable. The majority of being a lawyer, at least in my opinion, is writing whether it be emails to peers, Motions to the Court, or arguments. I implement the skills the history program taught me on a daily basis ranging anywhere from simple proper grammar to logically forming, explaining, and supporting an argument. Another skill I learned during my tenure as a history student at ODU that I use almost daily is my ability to succinctly conduct research. A lot of argument crafting as an attorney is based on researching legislation, laws, codes, ordinances, and past cases. Being able to present my Motions and arguments in a concise and articulate manner is yet another immeasurable skill I obtained from the ODU history program that again I employ almost daily. Researching for a project, writing a paper, presenting my argument and reasoning, and subs equently presenting said argument while I was a history student at ODU really set me up for a successful career in my chosen profession as the two approaches, one of writing and presenting a history paper and the second being writing and presenting a legal argument, are incredibly similar.
Which professors do you remember and why from the Department of History at Old Dominion University?
Prof. Lee: she taught a class about the 50s and 60s and had the best anecdotal stories from her and her husband's actual experiences during those decades .
Prof. Pearson: she was so knowledgeable, a veritable encyclopedia, on ancient Greek and Roman histories which were my favorite periods; she also had incredible stories about the archaeological digs she participated in.
Prof. Jersild: the lovechild of Steve Martin and Indiana Jones with the stories, personality, and humor to match, there was never a dull moment in his class .
Prof. Hametz: being a Jewish student, Fascism in Europe during the 20 th century fascinated me; she taught a class on the subject that was very in depth and analytical yet the approach afforded the subject and those affected by it the respect and dignity the two demanded .
Prof. Del Corso: not only a great professor who made class enjoyable but also a fantastic advisor that really helped me navigate my requirements as a transfer student.
Prof. Jordan: she really just made class fun as she chose to implement exciting and different subject matter that encompasses a wide variety of areas.
Prof. Mullis: she had personality and passion for days; it was extremely obvious how much she truly enjoyed teaching
What new areas of historical inquiry have you explored since leaving ODU? Are there certain history books or topics that you especially enjoy?
I continue to be interested in ancient Greek and ancient Roman history. I have been fortunate enough to travel to those areas in Europe and visit Pompeii, Ephesus, the Parthenon, the Pantheon, and the Coliseum amongst many other ancient sites. I have started to appreciate later European and Russian history more also being lucky enough to travel to such countries as the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia, and St. Petersburg. I particularly enjoy books and movies that discuss past landmark legal cases as well.
