Judge David C. Mason, a graduate of the School of Law, recently appeared as a featured guest on the podcast “Unscripted Direct: A Podcast for the Law School and Trial Advocacy Community.” Judge Mason also graduated in 1980 from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, and was appointed a Circuit Judge in August of 1991 at the age of 35, presiding over major civil and criminal trials.
The podcast episode features an in-depth conversation with Judge Mason as he discusses his upbringing, decorated career as a highly respected judge, and how an incident of racial violence nearly derailed him at an early age. He also touches on his gratitude for WashULaw, and how his admission and financial aid package changed the course of his life.
“Next thing you know, I’m in my beat-up ’64 Chevy Impala with everything I own and 50 bucks. And I made my way to St. Louis, Missouri,” he says. “I am so grateful to that law school. They did not have to take me … they saw something in me. To this day, some of the professors who were on that admissions committee are still around. I hope they feel that their gamble paid off.”
Listen to the full episode here. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.