Julia Wickham JD’26 is no stranger to nature. Growing up in eastern Iowa surrounded by rolling hills near the Mississippi River, it’s not a surprise she decided to go to law school in rural Vermont.
Julia attended University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she studied history and political science. While she considered going to law school, she also dreamed of being a teacher or having seasonal jobs. After graduation, Julia moved to Minneapolis for seven years. She gave kayak tours and worked on vegetable farms while lobbying at the state level for the Minnesota Farmers Union. Julia also served as the director of outreach for Senator Tina Smith covering agriculture, energy, and the environment.
It was Julia’s work as a lobbyist and for Senator Smith that sparked her interest in pursuing a legal education. “I saw the laws we were working with and how agencies were run, and I wanted to be on the other side of that,” Julia said.
With a strong interest in agricultural law, Julia quickly found Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS).
“The agricultural law program is what brought me to VLGS,” Julia said. “I Googled ‘best agricultural law schools’ and Vermont Law popped right up. I knew it was the place I wanted to be with the focus on community here.”
Community is exactly what Julia found. Not only is she involved within the VLGS community, but she has also made connections within the surrounding area. On her long list of extracurriculars, Julia milks cows for a local farm, serves as a store clerk at Tunbridge General Store, and hosts her own weekly radio show titled, “One Woman Show,” on the local South Royalton station.
“It was hard to move to the East Coast by myself,” Julia shared. “I was really nervous about making friends. The community has been so great. That is what I was most nervous about, but the adjustment has been seamless.”
Julia is also heavily involved in the Food and Agriculture Law Society (FALS), one of the many active student groups at VLGS. “FALS has been my favorite part of law school so far,” she said. “The cochairs, Andrew Hockenberry JD/MFALP’25 and Fallon Ryan JD/MFALP’25, are incredible. They have made the meetings so inclusive and warm, while empowering others to get involved and be creative.”
Julia raised the idea of organizing an antitrust symposium as one of the group’s events for the Spring 2024 semester. Andrew and Fallon offered their full support and helped kick off the planning process. From the keynote speaker and panelists to marketing needs to desired outcomes, and everything in between, FALS members worked together to map out the details.
“Antitrust law applies to almost every sector of the law,” Julia said. “I’m especially interested in it because companies control so much in agriculture. As these corporations get bigger and bigger, we start losing small farms.”
With the help of her FALS colleagues, Julia’s vision came to fruition on April 1, 2024. The symposium kicked off with welcoming remarks from Vermont Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman and included a keynote address from Zephyr Teachout, author of “Break ’Em Up.” There was also a panel discussion featuring professionals— including two VLGS alums—with diverse experiences and expertise in antitrust law and policy. The event concluded with a reception for students to network with the speakers.
“These incredible people were willing to participate, and being part of FALS, I got to reach out to Zephyr Teachout,” Julia said. “I read her book, and it was one of the reasons I wanted to come to law school. I feel really lucky to be part of such a supportive community and to be at a school that’s really well known for agricultural law.”
Julia’s event, “Bust the Trust,” was extremely successful and it contributed to her selection as the recipient of the Hollis Salzman Memorial Scholarship, an American Bar Association (ABA) award for women interested in advancing antitrust, consumer protection, and privacy.
“It feels really great to have people believe in me,” Julia said. “Law school is expensive, and it was something I didn’t want to pursue for a while because I was afraid of the cost. So, to have someone look at the work I have done in my area of interest and truly invest in me as a young law student feels amazing.”
This summer, Julia will be staying in South Royalton and working for VLGS’s Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) as a summer honors intern.
“I have fallen in love with the small community here,” she said. “There is this emphasis on knowing where your food comes from and really caring for the land, and I think VLGS does a great job at connecting you with people.”