Drew Amoroso, Class of '10

What organizations were you involved with during law school and what impact did they have on you?

During law school, I was primarily involved with the Law Review, where I had the privilege of serving as Editor in Chief my 3L year. That role was my first real experience overseeing a large group of people on a project that had real stakes, and it taught me a lot about leadership. Beyond the leadership side, the sheer volume of intense reading and editing sharpened my writing in ways that I still use today. 

Why did you choose to attend King Hall?

I graduated from a small liberal arts university in Pennsylvania, where I fell in love with the intimacy of small class sizes and a tight-knit student body. 

When it came time to choose a law school, I knew I wanted that same experience—and King Hall had all of it. My mom and I visited on admitted students’ day, and I made the decision on the spot. I also vividly remember Eric Toscano (who would later become a colleague of mine at Reed Smith) speaking on a panel that day; his perspective on the school really resonated with me and helped confirm the choice.

How did you become interested in your practice area?

My interest in coaching grew out of a combination of experiences: teaching as an adjunct professor at a few law schools (including King Hall), serving as president of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and running the summer associate program at Reed Smith’s San Francisco office. 

Across all of those roles, I kept noticing the same thing: there was a real gap between what law school taught and what it actually takes to make it through a workday as a practicing lawyer, let alone build sustainable habits and routines. Those experiences gave me the idea for a coaching company that could help new lawyers be intentional about their transition into practice, and help experienced lawyers take real ownership of their workday. That gap, and the opportunity to close it, is still what drives the work we do at DueCourse.

What are some of the issues you encounter in your profession?

One of the biggest issues I see is that lawyers are trained extensively on how to do the work, but rarely on how to build a workday that lets them do that work well. 

Almost everyone I meet in this profession experiences a gap between what’s expected of them and the mindset, habits, systems, and routines they’d need to actually meet those expectations. Much of what we do at DueCourse is focused on bridging that gap—giving lawyers practical tools to take ownership of the how, not just the what. When lawyers get that piece right, everything else (performance, satisfaction, longevity) tends to follow.

Of what are you proudest?

I’m proudest of the decision I made in 2016 to wind up my law firm and start my current company, DueCourse. We partner with law firms to deliver cohort-based coaching and structured development experiences that help lawyers operate more intentionally in high-performance environments and take ownership of their careers. 

To date, we’ve coached over 5,000 lawyers worldwide. Making the transition from practicing lawyer to entrepreneur was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding. It's incredibly fulfilling to help other people find ways to take ownership of their daily experience.

What advice do you have for current law students?

There’s no right career path—there’s only the one that works for you. Entering the profession comes with a lot of uncertainty about the future, but if you search for what you want with intention, you’ll find it. I changed career paths several times before I landed on what I really wanted to do, and I wouldn’t trade any of those detours. Don’t put pressure on yourself to make the “right” choice; just make the best choice you can with the information you have and trust the way it unfolds. That's all we can ever do.

What is your favorite King Hall memory?

My first year, a group of us formed an intramural basketball team called the Tanakaholics, sponsored by and named after Professor Tanaka. When we started, my expectations were low, but we went on to win the UC Davis intramural championship three years in a row.