Beyond Surviving: Lambert ’17 Thrives as Moot Court Exec. Director, Law Review Editor

3L Meaghan Lambert knows just as well as any law student, you have to be resilient to survive, though her practice in resiliency started long before she walked the halls of Albany Law School.

In 2013, the August of her senior year at Providence College, Lambert was diagnosed with cancer.

“I had to miss a lot of classes because of my fatigue level. The treatments were largely experimental at first, the whole process was emotionally draining,” said Lambert.

Given that senior year of undergraduate studies is a crossroads of decision-making, her diagnosis did have an impact on choosing to come to law school.

“I proved to myself that I could continue my classes in college and graduate summa cum laude while dealing with the onset of cancer. It definitely showed me that law school was the right decision — it was another challenge I wanted to accept,” Lambert said.

“I try to encourage as many people I can to partake in the [moot court] programs we offer because it is their chance to challenge themselves outside of the classroom. These competitions give students the confidence, practice and discipline they need to be a practicing attorney.”

She has certainly lived up to the challenge. She is a member of the Albany Law Review, and is now a 3L Associate Editor; served as the Donna Jo Morse Client Counseling and Negotiations Chair as a 2L; and is currently the Executive Director of the Anthony V. Cardona ’70 Moot Court Program.

Not everything was easy from the get-go for Lambert, who considered leaving law school after a year. She changed her mind once she became involved with Albany Law School’s Law Clinic & Justice Center where she received real-life legal experience as a student. The Health Law Clinic gave her what she was looking for: direct client contact.

“Working in the health law clinic with Professor Connors has to be my favorite Albany Law School memory,” Lambert said.

The 3L and her partner at the time were representing a client who, Lambert saw, really appreciated and needed their assistance.

“He was a client who tends to fall within the cracks of the health care system, and representing him made me proud to be an aspiring attorney,” Lambert stated.

Her client’s case eventually made it to a hearing where she and her partner were able to represent him in front of an administrative law judge.

As for the Anthony V. Cardona ’70 Moot Court Program, Lambert feels it gave her skills that she will always benefit from, and it will continue to provide the same opportunity for students to come.

“I try to encourage as many people I can to partake in the programs we offer because it is their chance to challenge themselves outside of the classroom. These competitions give students the confidence, practice and discipline they need to be a practicing attorney,” Lambert said. Discussing her experience as the program’s Executive Director, the 3L stated, “Our students are so very talented and passionate about competing — I am glad I can facilitate this opportunity for them.”

Lambert’s Albany Law School journey has not quite been a walk in the park. She made it a goal to meet the challenges she set for herself, instead of letting cancer define what she was capable of accomplishing. After three years, Lambert’s advice to current and prospective students is: “Work hard, find what you love to do ... and above all, be kind to one another.”