Dan Shuey, ’06, graduated with a degree in communication and political science. The Zanesville native chose Muskingum because “I wanted to be part of a close-knit community instead of a nameless face in a crowd. I was impressed with how engaged the professors were in the lives of their students and how many opportunities would be available to me. That was a very different feeling than I had at some of the larger schools I visited.”
Following graduation, Shuey earned his law degree from Georgetown. He then clerked for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio and, in 2011, joined Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP in Columbus, where he specializes in general commercial litigation. He is married to fellow Muskie Kristin Kenily Shuey, ’06, and they have three children.
Shuey says that, at Muskingum, “I had professors that were invested in my future and pushed me to constantly grow and take on new challenges. Specifically, now-retired professor Jerry Martin always set incredibly high standards for me and would never accept anything other than my best work. Learning to operate with that mindset has been invaluable because my professors at Georgetown and now my clients at Vorys have also expected and required that same standard of excellence. On a more concrete level, I use the skills I developed as a member of the Muskingum forensics team on a daily basis when I formulate, organize, and present a persuasive legal argument.”
For college students trying to determine their first steps post-grad, Shuey advises, “Find someone who is doing what you think you want to do, and then ask them to coffee and pick their brain about what steps they took to get there. Although that can be intimidating, you would be surprised how willing most people are to have that conversation. Not only do you gain valuable insight, but you may also be able to form a connection with someone in your chosen field who then becomes invested in your success.”