“I knew pretty early on that I didn’t want to do traditional legal work,” says Brandi Meredith. “But I really valued getting an education in the law, and having some perspective about it.” Along with her JD from Vermont Law School, Brandi received a Master of Laws degree in International Law and Legal Studies from the University of Kent in Belgium. She interned for the secretary of state in the Canadian Parliament, and at a law firm in London before landing in DC. Part of her ongoing education in the nation’s capital: playing weekly softball games with other attorneys from around the city in Washington’s “Lawyer League.” The league plays its games on the broad, grassy ellipse in front of the White House.

She’s been an analyst with the FBI for nearly five years. Her work involves organizing and synthesizing “massive amounts” of information, much of it technical and pedantic. She distills and translates the information for directors and decision makers who need a big-picture understanding of the legal framework and issues of the particular cases. “I’m not an advocate,” says Brandi. “I try to look at all sides of everything, recognize biases, and produce the most analytical, least biased assessment possible.”

She says her briefs, memos, and executive summaries all draw on the national security law and constitutional law she learned in the classroom at VLS. She’s able to process information quickly, to attend high-level briefings and think (and speak) on her feet. “I like building a case against criminals,” she says. “We’re one of the world’s premier law enforcement agencies. We do our work 24/7, all across the country. Knowing that we’re hard at work here gives people confidence. I like the thought that my work is making America safer.”