Hot Bench: Mark Graff ’26

Oh, hi Mark. Thanks very much for doing this Hot Bench.
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself—where you're from, where you went to undergrad, and why you came to law school? 

Yeah, absolutely. So, I'm from Richmond, Virginia, mostly. I went to undergrad for one year at Vanderbilt, and then the rest at UVA. I was a part-time student and a full-time manager at the Virginian my 4th year. I knew I wanted to go to law school early on in college, and decided to go to UVA because I talked to a lot of UVA students, and they said that all the things I liked about UVA undergrad were—in a more serious way—still the same at the Law School.  

Nice. And where are you headed after graduation? 

I'll be going to Milbank in New York. Very excited. New York was a decision finalized two weeks ago, and the firm accommodated it. I'll be up there with my fiancé.  

That's terrific.
So, obviously, you're the outgoing Student Bar Association President. You're a larger-than-life figure on campus—not quite as large as Dean Goluboff’s portrait, but still. Any reflections on your time in that position?  

I think I put this in an email somewhere, but first off, definitely the biggest honor I've had in law school, or maybe my whole life, or something. It’s really just been a pleasure. The best part of the role—and I think all student leaders feel this way, but what’s different about SBA—is supporting our own organization, but also everyone else's. And all the connections with [fellow] students. I think [UVA Law’s] culture only exists because the students here choose to buy in and perpetuate it every year. [With accelerated] recruiting timelines—and different changes on grounds—it really requires people to buy in and keep that motivation going despite everything else that we've got going on.  

The motivation to continue to be a good hang. 

Yeah, to be a normal person—to be a good hang. I do think that employers and other law students look at the University of Virginia as sort of a well-adjusted law school, which I think is really refreshing. Even if your interest isn't buying in a “because-you-care-about-it-way,” even in a self-interested way, it benefits us with employment.
It benefits us with admissions. Any UVA student who's gone to a happy hour in Charlottesville with UVA students and then gone to a happy hour elsewhere with a lot of other schools can notice the difference in how people support each other, and are—“more collegial” is the word we always use.  

You know, hopefully, we can make the enterprise of law a little more tolerable for everyone involved. 
 

The fact that the alumni team won the softball tournament this year shows that the alumni have done a pretty good job with that. 

One last thing on the Student Bar Association.
Is it true that Will Chambers was your high school buddy?  

There's a great picture of Will and I at [high school] graduation smoking stogies. He and I were in the same friend group. We stayed in decent touch during college, and then both realized we were applying to law schools. We were pretty excited to hear that we'd both end up in the same place.  

That's terrific. Where are you going on your bar trip? 

I'm going to Japan and Korea, as a lot of students in my grade are.
I'm going with Kirk Wolff, Ryan Keane, Delaney Sniffen, Steve Kim, and a couple partners. [’26s] 

That'll be great. Any advice for students seeking to get involved in the law school community? 

With recruiting timelines, student work moves to the 3Ls. I was president as a 3L. I didn’t do it for the resume—everyone had jobs—
I did it because I cared about the school and cared about SBA. I had been involved and wanted to keep it going, and I thought I'd do a good job. That's the silver lining [with recruiting]. If people are not concerned about the resume anymore, they're doing it because they really care. 3L is really what you make of it. I get the inclination to do nothing. But having a thing, no matter how small, really helps keep you feeling connected to your classmates, and just kind of gives you something to do. Otherwise, I would have been bored this year. Obviously, I picked a pretty big thing, but pick a thing, whatever that may be. 

Anything you tried at the Law School for the first time that you were like, “This was great; I'm glad I tried it”? 

The Libel Show is the easy answer. I never thought I'd get on stage for a theatrical performance, but I did. I was so nervous getting on stage. I almost thought I wouldn't do it. But I had such amazing people. Last year, Andrew Searles [’25] was telling me, “You got this, Mark,” even when I didn't think I did. And this year, I had a little bigger profile skit. I don't think I could do that at other law schools. I don't know if I'd feel as comfortable with the student body. But because I do feel close to the student body, it makes playing on stage a lot less nerve-racking and putting yourself out there in the way you hadn't previously a lot more rewarding.  

Nice. That's funny, obviously, coming from the guy who gives the most speeches out of anyone, probably, but I understand where you're coming from. It's a very different thing to get on stage and have people laugh at you, even if you're in on the joke.  

And the biggest fear is that people don't laugh when they're supposed to, of course. 

All right. Lightning round! So, in addition to SBA President Emeritus, you're the Restaurant Critic Emeritus of Law Weekly. Favorite Charlottesville restaurant?  

The Jervey, but I’m extremely biased. Alley Light, if not [the Jervey]. 

If you could adapt one piece of fiction or nonfiction to the screen, what would it be?   

Gregor the Overlander [by Suzanne Collins].  

Favorite law? 

The 21st Amendment? 
 

Best softball team name you've heard. 

Hoo’s Your Daddy, obviously—the drunk team from the tournament.