Sachal Denney ’25, a J.D. candidate at the University of Maine, carved out a well-rounded college career at Berry. He honed leadership skills as SGA president and managed a commercial real estate portfolio for the Berry Investment Group. The finance major took a deep dive into the humanities, cultivating interests in political philosophy, modern and post-modern literature, and film. He recently took time to reflect on his Berry Journey.
How has the liberal arts experience at Berry prepared you for life?
Leaning into the liberal arts experience is a modern privilege and one of the most beneficial things a student can do. I am confident in saying that taking courses in philosophy, theology, etc., was nothing short of transformative for me, both as a student and a person. Many of those courses/professors sparked lifelong interests for me that have even bled into my legal pursuits. Berry is a celebration of the humanities; all students, no matter what they aspire to do, can benefit from embracing that.
Why is finance a useful major for a lawyer?
Finance is a discipline that requires critical thinking, not just about the quantitative parts, but about the underpinnings and wider goals of financial markets and investments. Berry does an excellent job ensuring this deeper understanding. Finance can be surprisingly representative of the broader climate in this country, and that is something all good lawyers have a stake in.
What advice did you receive from Berry’s pre-law advisor?
Determine what your strengths are early on and learn how to leverage them. This will help you in writing a solid personal statement, and it will also help you on the LSAT. I highly recommend taking a constitutional law course with Dr. Sands; it will aid significantly in preparing you for things like case briefs and cold calls.
What are your long-term career plans?
Though I do hope to contribute to the legal field through instruction/research someday, I believe that practice is a crucial part of advocacy, and my practice interests include administrative law, compliance law and municipal/local government. Those are the areas that I hope constitute the bulk of my career in the future.
