Phil Lee, B.A. 1996

Professor of Law, UDC David A. Clarke School of Law – Washington, DC

1996 Major: Sociology and Psychology

How has being a Sociology graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?

"Learning sociology at Duke helped shape my worldview in college. I subsequently went to law school informed by what C. Wright Mills called a "sociological imagination." After practicing law for a few years, I went on to pursue doctoral studies in education and became a law professor. I continue to use the tools of sociology as one of my intellectual foundations as I engage in legal research and writing."

What advice would you give students in Duke's Sociology programs? 

"Duke Sociology was intellectually transformational. It helped me see the relationship between self and society. It can do the same for you. If you choose this path, engage in the classes, learn from the scholars, and read everything."

Phil Lee