John Lim ’27 To Lead Virginia Law Review Lim Said He Hopes VLR Will Remain at ‘Cutting Edge of the Legal Academy’

Second-year student John Lim of the University of Virginia School of Law has been named editor-in-chief of the Virginia Law Review. Lim will succeed Julia Sabik ’26 later this week in the top leadership role of the 113-year-old student-run publication.

Lim, who is from Virginia Beach, graduated from Harvard University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in history and literature. While there, he served as vice president and literature editor for The Harvard Lampoon. He received a master’s degree in American history from the University of Cambridge in 2021 and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education in 2023. For three years prior to law school, he also taught 11th and 12th grade history at Deerfield Academy, a boarding school in western Massachusetts.

Lim discussed his goals for the Law Review, what advice he would offer first-year students and more in a recent Q&A.

What are your future career plans?

This summer, I will be working at Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C. I also hope to return to the classroom eventually, whether that’s at a law school or back in the high school setting.

What is your favorite law class or subject?

It’s impossible to choose just one. I loved taking classes in energy and public utilities law with Professor Alison Gocke. We often take for granted that the lights will turn on when we flip a light switch; energy law helps make that happen. I also enjoyed Professor Michael Gilbert’s class on legislation, which made me feel more like a lawyer than any other class I’ve taken. Learning the toolkit of statutory interpretation reinvigorated my sense that language matters, down to the punctuation marks and typos.

Are you involved with any other activities at the Law School?

I am the president of the Lambda Law Alliance. I have also worked as a research assistant for Professors Gocke and Risa Goluboff. And I am a Peer Advisor for a first-year section.

What are your goals for the Virginia Law Review?

I am excited about maintaining the Virginia Law Review’s tradition of excellent scholarship. I hope we can remain at the cutting edge of the legal academy by publishing scholarship that means something to someone. I also hope to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity and humility throughout the Law School. Through our public speaker events and student scholarship programming, the Law Review can spark conversations that change how we think about the law in the classroom and the courtroom.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

My parents used to own a hibachi steakhouse and sushi bar. Unfortunately, I never learned how to cook hibachi myself, but I did get to eat a lot of sushi for dinner.

What’s your advice for 1Ls?

First, be open to connections. UVA Law is full of incredibly passionate, curious and interesting people. We all have our own histories, and we all have our own “whys.” Say hi to that person you recognize from your co-section; go to the club meeting even if you don’t know anyone else going.

Second, be kind to yourself. At some point in law school, everyone wonders if they are good enough, smart enough or prepared enough. You are. Trust yourself, and know when to take a break. Understand the concept of diminishing returns: Maybe that extra hour of studying won’t help, and maybe what you need is a walk with friends or an episode of reality TV.

Third, don’t back down from challenges. You are here because you have risen to the occasion time after time. If public speaking terrifies you, don’t automatically rule out the mock trial competition. If a class seems daunting, lean in and try to pinpoint what’s daunting about it. Remember that we all start from somewhere. And if you fall on your face, learn to laugh at yourself, and don’t be afraid to try again.

Rounding out the managing board are:

Managing Editor

Brendan McGovern

Assistant Managing Editor

Donald Allen Sarra

Membership Development Editor

Jacob Paton

Membership and Inclusion Editor

Asia Porter

Articles Development Editors

Bennett Crow
Sophia M. Weglarz

Articles Editors

Daniel E. Cummins Jr.
Henry Farmer
Audrey L. Felton
Jalen M. Harrison
Jessica Moore
Margaret D. Moran
Bennett Pienkowski
Megan Willburn

Notes Development Editor

Lauren Palmiter

Notes Editors

Caroline Davisson
Conner Fastenau
Lily K. Forbes
Thomas Hershewe

Online Development Editor

Madeline R. Kahl

Online Editors

Amir Downing
Logan Ford
Natasha Wissmann
Olivia Sanusi Woodard

Lead Executive Editor

Carolyn Allen

Executive Editors

Emma G. Allen
J. Brock Christensen
Aerianna Dunn
Alicia Kaufmann
Kevin A. Norris
Katharine A. Sowers
Courtney H. Thompson