Profiles
Hometown: Princeton, New Jersey
Undergraduate Degree: Harvard, BA, History (with Language Citation in Russian)
Career Interest: Commercial Litigation and International Law
Many law students struggle to find a balance between academics and life outside of law school. Will Riffelmacher found that balance at UC Davis School of Law, competing on the UC Davis cycling team and helping the Aggies to a Division I National Championship while completing his second-year studies at King Hall.
"Getting outside for a little while every day and riding my bike allowed me to clear my mind and refocus on work," he said.
Riffelmacher, a member of the King Hall Class of 2010, is an accomplished cyclist who briefly considered a career in professional cycling, but realized law was a more fitting career choice for him. "The people I most admired in my life growing up were lawyers," said Riffelmacher. "Being a lawyer always seemed like a great profession: you get paid to learn!"
He chose to attend King Hall because of its reputation for academic excellence and its diverse student body. Riffelmacher did not expect to race during law school but was delighted to discover the vibrant cycling community that existed in Davis, which has been voted the most bike-friendly city in the nation by the League of American Cyclists. He couldn't resist getting involved and joined the Cal Aggie Cycling Team, helping them to a National Collegiate Road Cycling Championship in 2009. Competing in the championship was extremely memorable and required him to fly out to Colorado for the race while in the middle of finals.
Riffelmacher was also very active at King Hall, serving as a Senior Articles Editor for the Journal of International Law and Policy and a member of the Jessup Moot Court team. He especially enjoyed the faculty of King Hall, noting their breadth of knowledge and passion for their areas of expertise. After graduation, Riffelmacher joined Boies, Schiller and Flexner, a top law firm known for cases such as United States v. Microsoft and Bush v. Gore, where he now works as an associate.
