
By Gwyneth K. Shaw
When Maguire Radosevic ’24 was picking where to apply to law school, Berkeley Law caught his eye. He’d heard about the school’s outstanding national reputation and its high rates of post-graduation employment and bar passage — and that students admitted during the early decision process were guaranteed scholarships.
Radosevic says he was so convinced he wouldn’t be admitted that he didn’t discuss it with anyone before submitting the application.
Born and raised Catholic in Kansas City, Missouri, Radosevic grew up in a home where politics and religion were regular dinner table topics, and his parents welcomed skepticism and disagreement. He competed in debate and mock trial in high school, so a career in law made sense.
But when he was admitted to Berkeley Law, he says, the reactions of his family and close friends were mixed.
“They told me how proud they were, but they also expressed concerns: Would I make any friends? Would I be shunned if I expressed conservative views? Would I be able to handle a submersion into an environment so different from the one in which I had lived my whole life?” Radosevic says. “Sometimes their concerns daunted me. In retrospect, I’m relieved I applied early decision so I couldn’t act on my apprehension.”
Radosevic, who graduated in May after leading the Federalist Society as a 3L, admits that he was a bit reticent about speaking up in class during his first semester.
“I remained silent or offered anodyne takes when controversial issues arose in discussion,” he says.
But once he’d settled in, Radosevic realized he wouldn’t get the most out of his education by taking a passive approach. And his brilliant classmates inspired him to speak up.
“I learned so much from them, even when — actually, especially when — I initially disagreed with their ideas,” he says. “Since they articulated their views so well, they helped me understand the important issues we discussed in class on another level. And sometimes they even changed my views.”
Bridging the divide
If his classmates learned half as much from hearing his opinions as he learned from hearing theirs, Radosevic reasoned, they’d all profit immensely from the exchange of ideas. As he leaned into discussions, his conservative views became clear to his peers.
“While some of them began to look at me differently, most responded with curiosity. At least a few told me they had never met a conservative before,” he says. “Some others invited me to share coffee or lunch so they could learn more about what I believed. I never turned down an opportunity like that. My friends and I usually ended these conversations still in disagreement, but we also left with increased understanding and respect for each other.
“Pundits belabor the conclusion that our country is polarized, but conversations with my classmates left me feeling sanguine. We may not always agree, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from one another.”
Radosevic was politically active before law school, including interning for then-U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and door-knocked during the 2018 and 2020 election cycles. Some of his political connections encouraged him to join the Federalist Society in law school. While he quickly discovered the group isn’t just an explicitly political organization, events spanning a vast range of topics in constitutional law and public policy kept him interested.
Elected president after his 2L year, Radosevic says his favorite part about leading the group was hosting the speakers — law professors, federal judges, and attorneys from government and public interest organizations for almost 20 events. He had the chance to meet and talk with each one, a priceless experience for a student.
Now that he’s graduated, Radosevic will clerk for the next two years: First for U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Chief Judge Stephen Clark and then for U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke.
“I can’t wait to learn from such esteemed jurists and excellent writers, and I’m so grateful that they agreed to take a chance on me,” he says. “I will strive to take to chambers the same habits that Berkeley Law has instilled in me: listening, understanding, and pursuing the truth with an open mind.”
Radosevic calls his law school experience unforgettable. The three years were the best of his life, he adds, because of his professors and classmates.
“Before law school, I’d never encountered a place where the people were as curious, as bright, and as personable as those I met at Berkeley Law. I don’t think I’ll ever find another place quite like it,” he says. “Living in the Bay Area has also proved edifying. Excursions to San Francisco exposed me to cultures, foods, and experiences I hadn’t even known existed. Challenging hikes in the hills and mountains taught me patience and perseverance.
“Every day promised a new lesson in law or life.”