Michael Shaw (DC 2007, HNZ 2008)

Michael Shaw graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Management (with an additional major in International Relations) in 2007. He went on to get a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from Heinz College in 2008, followed by a J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2012. Mike’s career has been in the center of technology, finance and law from the very start, but he currently works as Legal Counsel for BILL, a financial technology company in Silicon Valley.

Making the Most of CMU

Mike grew up with two lawyers for parents, so when he came to CMU he tried his best to pull his interests away from legal practice and try as many new things as he could. But no matter how hard he tried, there was always a pull back towards the law, where he ended up interested in quantitative approaches to policy management. But even with this focus, Mike always made the most of working with other students and exploring their interests as well — in fact, Mike told me this was one of his favorite memories of CMU. Since every graduate program (including law school) and workplace is a very diverse space, attracting many different people with many different backgrounds and priorities, he found the diversity of CMU classrooms set him ahead in interacting with others.

“College is such a wonderful sandbox where you can learn anything, and you can explore broadly, and you really should.”

He also had some advice for undergraduate students wondering how they can prepare themselves for law school admissions from the very start. He advised that students work to explore their interests and really get a feel for where their passions lie — but he emphasized how students must do so very, very strategically.

“College is such a wonderful sandbox where you can learn anything, and you can explore broadly, and you really should," Mike said.

Getting to Law School

Like many law school graduates, Mike took time away from school to work between receiving his master’s degree and applying for law school. He spoke about his experience working as a paralegal and how it helped him better understand what he found to be the three pivot points from law school: LSAT prep time, on-campus Interviews (OCIs) and starting work after graduation. He stands by his choice to take time away from school before applying to law school and advised other students to not be afraid to do the same:

“I think for me having the extra time in between graduating from undergrad and starting law school —  and in particular OCI — was helpful because I wasn't prelaw," Mike said. "And although I had a sense of what law practice and the daily work of a lawyer involved from my parents, I wasn't as well educated on the admissions process and the interview and recruiting process in particular.”

At the same time, Mike stressed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for students finding their way to law school. We spoke briefly about students who chose to go straight through from undergrad to law school and how many of them can wind up just as, if not more, successful than students who work before applying to law school. However, making that choice came with its own set of difficulties. Law school students must be ready for OCIs months before they happen, and it can be challenging to prepare for the workplace while also studying constitutional law or torts. But if a student is ready to embrace that challenge, then they will be very successful going straight through to law school.

Finding your Niche and Adapting to Survive

Another main theme that ran through Mike’s career was the tension between finding one’s niche and remaining adaptable to survive in the legal field. When you enter into law school, you need to quickly adapt to a totally new learning and writing style; law school work is unlike anything you’ve ever come across before. On top of that, the sheer mass of coursework can often overwhelm students. He told me about a day when a professor called on him, using the Socratic method, to answer a question he was entirely unprepared for — that kind of experience is not unique to Mike and occurs to many law school students. So it’s very important to quickly adapt to the kinds of work you are assigned.

“There is a lot of demand for [lawyers in tech-focused fields] and they're important fields, so there is a very natural lane that is open to students."

On the other hand, there is a tremendous need to specialize very quickly into your law school career. It’s as though, one day towards the end of your 1L year, your career counselor will ask you “Do you want to do litigation? Do you want to do corporate? Do you want to do patent? Or do you want to do public interest?” and you need to have the right answer very early on. In particular, we spoke about the current need for tech-focused lawyers and how many CMU students would do well in such a career.

“There is a lot of demand for these fields and they're important fields, so there is a very natural lane that is open to students who want to pursue those fields," Mike said. "The only downside to that would be that you are immediately funneled, which earlier I cautioned against; you want to make sure you're knowingly going into what you're doing.”

On the whole, Mike drove home the fact that students need to be able to adapt to new settings while also knowing what makes them special. If a student is able to do so, then they will be able to survive and thrive in a law career.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Towards the end of our interview, Mike shared with me what he considered to be the highlight of his career so far. In the middle of 2021, while interest rates were low and there was a brand new market of at-home technology, Mike worked with many companies to bring their products to life. Working as company counsel, he worked with the company, their finance team and bankers to make sure financial statements were factually accurate and filed correctly to help these companies come to life. And at the end of it all, after everything was submitted to the SEC and the companies were ready to go public, he got to go with them to the New York Stock Exchange and ring the bell to see their stock trade publicly in real time. And more often than not, they would “pop” and spike to almost double their initial public offering. There was an energy to it that Mike says he hasn’t been able to experience since.

However, capital investment isn’t without its risks. In the following year, inflation started spiking and the Fed responded by raising interest rates.

“The music stopped," he said. 

Just one year after the most exciting moment of his career, Mike had to begin telling more and more clients there was no market for their stock. Those who could waited to see if the markets would change. They waited for as long as they could, but many didn’t make it. And when that happens, it’s disappointing for the company and frustrating for the team of lawyers working with them. When a company fails to go public, all the work that goes into that project vanishes–and much of it is confidential, so Mike couldn’t even share his frustration with those close to him.

“This is one thing I tried to learn as a supervisor of junior attorneys: don't let my stress infect or spread out to others.”

The process of working with a client and their team is ultimately what led Mike to join BILL as in-house counsel. While before his interests were “mostly” aligned with that of the companies he provided advice to, he is now 100% aligned with the interests of BILL. He works together with the company for every project, sharing in all of their defeats and triumphs. It can be challenging and frustrating work, but Mike emphasized the importance of keeping your humanity through it all.

“This is one thing I tried to learn as a supervisor of junior attorneys: don't let my stress infect or spread out to others. I need to deal with my stress. The work itself is demanding enough, I don't need to be imposing my stress on others," Mike said.

As a whole, Michael Shaw’s career–from a public policy and management major at CMU, to capital markets in New York City, to in-house counsel at a Silicon Valley tech startup underscores the value of adaptability and thoughtful career planning. Whether advising students to gain real-world experience, encouraging them to pursue their passions, or reflecting on the highs and lows of legal practice, Mike offered valuable insights for anyone considering a legal career. Above all, his story highlights how a willingness to learn and evolve can open doors across diverse industries and lead to a fulfilling professional life.