Student Profile: Dan Murdock

Wake Forest University

Dan Murdock (JD/MBA) became interested in business issues during his first two years at Wake Forest after seeing how the law shaped so many aspects of business. He says studying both at the same time has provided a unique perspective into how each field interacts with the other.

“I’ve always enjoyed public speaking and debate, so the law seemed like a natural place to both hone these skills and develop them into a career.”

After sitting for the bar in July, he will work in Raleigh as an associate at Teague Campbell Dennis & Gorham.

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Who in the law school was your biggest supporter?
Professor Mike Green has been my most important mentor. He and I co-authored a book chapter during my second and third years here, and I learned an immeasurable amount from him. He taught me how to be a better writer and editor, and how to think more critically about the law and the policies that underlie it.

Did anything surprising happen during your time in law school?
While working with Professor Green on the book chapter I was able to attend a conference on the book project in Vienna, Austria. While there, I discussed issues surrounding employers’ liability and workers’ compensation with lawyers and academics from all over Europe. I also was able to explore Vienna, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

What class did you enjoy most and why?
The two that were the most enjoyable were “Business Solutions” in the business school and “Litigation Clinic” in the law school. Developing an expansion plan for a local business and working with local attorneys in these two courses allowed me to turn the skills I have developed over the last four years into a real-world work product.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Wake Forest?
Working with so many great people in both the law and business schools has been wonderful, particularly preparing for and presenting an endless number of PowerPoint presentations with my first-year business group. During one such presentation we ended up having to extemporize on the state of Spain’s political affairs for a solid ten minutes with no preparation. It made for an interesting and memorable experience.

Did you participate in an internship?
At the nonprofit Pacific Legal Foundation I worked with homeowners battling onerous land use regulations, which was intellectually challenging and rewarding. I was also a summer associate with a Raleigh firm, Teague Campbell Dennis & Gorham, where I worked on a number of litigation matters.

What is the most dramatic change you’ve undergone?
The business and law schools have helped me become a much better critical thinker. Not just in thinking about issues from different perspectives, but also how the underlying ideas or policies in law or business affect other aspects of society and whether those are positive effects.