“Since I was small, my parents always told me I should be a lawyer because I loved to argue.” For Taylor Talley, Class of 2026, that early family observation eventually grew into something far more meaningful: a clear sense of purpose shaped by service, advocacy, and a deep commitment to children and families.
Growing up in Louisa, Virginia, Talley began to see how uneven access to justice could be. “When working and volunteering in my community in high school, I began to see the legal disparities as I was from a small town that truly is a legal desert,” she says. “I knew I wanted to help be a voice for people, specifically children and families that felt stuck in certain situations because they couldn’t afford access to legal services.” That conviction became the foundation of her legal education and the driving force behind the opportunities she pursued.
Finding the Right Fit at Catholic Law
When it came time to choose a law school, Talley knew she wanted something different from her undergraduate experience at the University of Georgia. “I chose Catholic because I went to a large undergrad and knew I wanted a smaller community-based atmosphere for my law school experience,” she says. A connection through her job at a law firm in Athens, Georgia helped confirm that instinct. After speaking with a Catholic Law alumna, Talley was struck by “how wonderful her experience was at Catholic and the one-of-a-kind alumni.”
Catholic Law’s location and academic offerings sealed the decision. “Since Catholic Law had a family law clinic, a small community feel in a city I loved, and a great alumni base, I was sold,” she says. Looking back, those factors did more than shape her law school choice. They helped define the kind of lawyer she wanted to become.
Building Experience Through Service and Practice
Talley arrived at Catholic Law ready to gain practical experience. “Practical experience was one of the aspects of law school that I looked forward to most,” she says. “I was eager to hit the ground running with getting hands-on experience, serve others, and learn directly from attorneys and mentors in the field.”
She did exactly that. During her 1L summer, Talley interned with the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps through the Defense Counsel Assistance Program at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where she observed the inner workings of the Army JAG Corps and worked alongside defense counsel training incoming Army criminal defense attorneys.
One of the most meaningful chapters of her legal education came through the Families and the Law Clinic. Selected for the clinic in the spring of her 2L year, Talley continued through the spring of her 3L year, advocating for immigrant and domestic violence clients. “Through the clinic, I successfully argued motions hearings for custody orders before the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on two occasions,” she says, while also assisting clients seeking relief under the Violence Against Women Act and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.
Her commitment to child advocacy also extended beyond the classroom. Talley served pro bono as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Washington, D.C., during both her 2L and 3L years. In that role, she advocated for two children involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. The experience, she says, “strengthened my passion for family law and child advocacy.”
During her 2L summer, Talley expanded her military law experience by interning with the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps at the Navy Region Southwest Office in San Diego. There, she gained exposure to military administrative law and served as Assistant Government Counsel on a Board of Inquiry proceeding involving officer misconduct.
Her 3L year added another dimension to her legal training. Talley worked as a law clerk in immigration law for Charlie Lefebvre, a 2023 Catholic Law graduate, and joined Catholic Law’s spring break service trip to the U.S.–Mexico border. “Together, these experiences deepened my understanding of the challenges non-citizen migrants face and reinforced the importance of accessible and compassionate legal advocacy in the immigration space,” she says.
Leadership, Initiative, and Community
If practical experience shaped Talley’s professional path, Catholic Law’s community gave her the confidence to lead. “What stands out most is how supportive the community has been in helping students turn their ideas into reality,” she says. “Whenever I approached faculty, administrators, or fellow students with a goal or new initiative, there was always encouragement and a willingness to help make it happen.”
That support was central to one of her favorite accomplishments: co-founding the Family Law Society during her 2L year with classmate Kierra Giarrusso. “I came to law school interested in family law, and while Catholic Law offered courses and a clinic in this area, we saw an opportunity to create additional connections with practitioners and alumni,” Talley says. “Building that organization allowed us to expand opportunities for students interested in family law careers.”
Her interest in military law also became a defining part of her Catholic Law experience. As Co-President of the Military and National Security Law Student Association, she worked with Moot Court Association Chancellor Audrey Ganley to establish a Catholic Law team for the U.S. Army JAG Moot Court Competition. Competing alongside Robert Mendez and Jonathan Tempe Bravo, she says, was “an incredible opportunity to strengthen my advocacy skills while representing Catholic Law in a national military law competition.”
Talley also held a range of leadership roles across the law school, serving as President of Phi Alpha Delta, Vice President of Financial Affairs for the Student Bar Association, and Managing Editor of the Journal of Law and Technology, Volume 34. Each role helped her build skills in leadership, legal writing, and mentorship while forming lasting ties across the Catholic Law community.
Her academic work was equally impactful. Talley conducted directed research under Professor Cara Drinan on the constitutional right to familial integrity and remedies under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for adult children affected by the wrongful conviction and incarceration of a parent. She counts Drinan’s classes among the highlights of her time at Catholic Law, especially Criminal Justice Reform, where she heard from an exoneree sentenced to life without parole as a juvenile and participated in the Frederick Douglass Project at the D.C. Jail.
Service remained a constant throughout. Talley served on the pro bono advisory board, where she helped promote CASA opportunities and encourage deeper community engagement in Washington. She also spent the past two years as a Teaching Assistant for 1L Legal Writing under Honorable Judge Dale Durrer, an experience that let her mentor incoming students and “give back to the Catholic Law community that supported me throughout law school.”
A Career of Service Ahead
After graduation, Talley will begin the next chapter of that service-minded journey as a U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General. “Upon passing the bar exam, I will head to 13 weeks of Officer Candidate School and 10 weeks of Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island,” she says.
It is a fitting path for a student whose law school career has been marked by discipline, leadership, and a steady commitment to helping others navigate difficult systems with dignity and support.
Why Catholic Law Still Stands Out
Now, with graduation on the horizon, Talley is clear about what makes Catholic Law distinctive. “What stands out most to me about attending Catholic Law is the strong sense of community combined with the unique opportunities that come from studying in the nation’s capital,” she says. “Because of the smaller class sizes, I was able to build meaningful relationships with both my classmates and professors, creating a supportive and collaborative environment that made law school feel much more personal.”
That sense of connection, paired with access to real-world legal experience, defined her time at the law school. “Catholic Law gave me the opportunity to gain hands-on experience across a variety of practice areas, including military law, criminal law, family law, and immigration law, through practical experiences and involvement in student organizations,” she says. “The combination of close-knit community and real-world opportunities made my experience at Catholic Law truly one of a kind.”
For Talley, the path from Louisa to Washington, and soon to Navy service, has been shaped by purpose from the start. At Catholic Law, that purpose found both a home and a launch point.