Andrew Fellows, a 1L from Stafford, Virginia, doesn’t have a typical pre-law background. After graduating with a degree in music performance from BYU, he worked as the assistant organist at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City for two years before coming to BYU Law. Andrew became interested in the organ at 14 after his father passed away. “It’s the quietest instrument in the world, and it’s also the loudest instrument in the world,” he says. “It can do so many different things. After losing my Dad, learning to play the organ gave me the ability to connect with heaven and a way to articulate and express my feelings that was sweet to me and could touch other people. I was exploring transcendence and the meaning of life from an artistic point of view. ”
For Andrew, an education in the law affords a similar opportunity from a pragmatic point of view. “Even though it might seem like law school is incongruous with music education, I don’t think it is at all.” The same “Christian yearnings” that led him to develop his musical skills on a high level are what keep him interested in the specific issues that the law presents, such as equity, and what’s good for society. “The same questions interest me,” he says, “but in law school I’m exploring the answers from a different application of expertise.”
One of Andrew’s favorite things about BYU Law is his association with his classmates. “Law is highly connected with politics. To be in a place where I can talk with really liberal people and really conservative people and know that love is not at stake is nourishing to me. I enjoy that we are committed to the principles of the restored gospel because there is a level of love and community that we can seek after, reach for, and hold to that is higher than political affiliation.”
Figuring out how to apportion energy has been an important part of navigating law school for Andrew. “There’s a lot of pressure to understand every case, every detail. Being able to filter through what’s important is a rigorous intellectual task.” Spending time with good friends, playing sports, watching films, reading books, and listening to music help keep him balanced. “Often I have to remind myself, ‘Just relax. Stop working for five minutes. Listen to a song.’ I’m pretty convinced that I need God’s help to find balance. Being humble enough to recognize that I am a person in my life who needs caring for helps me do that.”
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