David Tierney

Background

About David Tierney

I am an attorney and have been licensed to practice in Virginia since 2016. That is relatively new. I, however, am not. I graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 2015, but I graduated from Marine Corps boot camp in 1986. Between the two, I spent five years as a Marine, and, later, gained experience as an actor, improviser, director, and teacher in the performing arts; a programmer and teacher in information systems; designer for several industries; and a change management analyst. That diversity of experiences has taught me: how to work with a diverse team and how to work solo; how to communicate effectively while speaking to groups in the hundreds, having one-on-one conversations, or writing technical, academic, legal, or creative papers. And the fourteen Marine Corps leadership traits have become lodestars, both personally and professionally. Theatre practitioners also gain particular transferable skills. Perhaps obviously, a certain amount of public speaking ability is unavoidable. However, an abridged list of some of the more surprising skills include adaptability (when your scene partner forgets their lines, the show must go on), resource efficiency (theatres are often underfunded, but each show must somehow go on), and a healthy respect for deadlines (guess what happens on opening night? The show goes on). I have also learned the value of serving others. I have volunteered with the developmentally disabled, entertained troops in the Middle East and Africa, and helped asylum seekers. At UCLA, I assisted homeless veterans with legal needs, helped initiate a veterans’ benefits course at UCLA, and co-founded the first veterans’ alumni network in UCLA's history. And I have attempted to do all of it with something approaching a sense of humor. Your mileage, however, may vary.