August 27, 2020

Even in his childhood, Michael Crouse JD'21 had values rooted in environmental stewardship. That is why environmental law was a natural choice for him when he decided to pursue a law degree. When he began his research for a Juris Doctor program, he closed in on Vermont Law School because of its strong ranking in U.S. News & World Report.

That ranking caught his eye, but what took his interest to the next level was VLS's Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE). Mascoma Meadow’s project, which serves as national model for bringing clean energy to low-income communities, bridged Crouse’s values to his future goals.

“This sparked my desire to want to be part of a school that focused not just on tangible results, but community enrichment and service."
— Michaeil Crouse JD'21, Vermont Law School

What stands out to Michael now that he is enrolled is the unofficial policy of "No Jerks". When approaching the idea of law school, he admits that he thought it would be cutthroat. He was pleasantly surprised when he learned that VLS is a supporting environment that encourages students to succeed through positivity.

If Michael was to give someone advice on succeeding on the LSAT, he’d say, “I used KAPLAN for my LSAT preparation, and one lesson that I learned was the importance of multiple meaningful exposures. The LSAT is a skills-based test, and no outside knowledge to pass the test is required. Thus, my course focused on extensive practice. Anyone can learn how to diagram a logic game, or notate for reading comprehension, but the key is to practice often, and practice consistently if you wish to succeed. The BAR takes over 600 hours of intensive study, and the LSAT is a good precursor to this future commitment. “