From Liberal Arts to Law – Kendall Day

Kendall Day earned his B.A. from KU in Italian and humanities in 1999.

Kendall Day
Kendall Day’s background in literature and humanities opened many doors in the law field, including a chance to work for a law firm in Rome.

What do you do and what’s your current title?

I am Principal Deputy Chief, Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice. I share responsibility for a unit of 150 lawyers and other professionals. We focus on taking the profit out of crime, both by prosecuting those who launder money for large criminal organizations and by seizing and forfeiting the proceeds and tools of those organizations.

Where did you earn your law degree? 

University of Virginia

Where do you live now? 

Washington, DC
How do you use what you learned as a KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences student in your career?

I majored in Italian Literature and Humanities. These specialties prepared me well for law school and have also opened unexpected doors for me following graduation. For example, my background in international issues served me well during the year I spent working as the Justice Department Resident Legal Advisor in Belgrade, Serbia. I also spent a summer working for an American law firm in Rome while I was in law school.

Kendall Day
Kendall Day works for the U.S. Department of Justice prosecuting money launderers and criminal organizations.

Why law?

A law degree is very flexible, and I thought it would give me opportunities, no matter what career path I wanted to pursue.

What’s your advice for aspiring law students?
Spend lots of time talking to current lawyers, both in and out of the government, to decide whether working as a lawyer is really for you. If you think it is, then go! Law school was a very challenging and rewarding experience, and I’m thrilled that I chose to do it.

From Liberal Arts to Law
View more stories from our alumni here.

Favorite KU memory? 

Being in Allen Field House while the Men’s Basketball Team overcame a large deficit and beat UCLA. At one point, it became so loud that my ears popped.

Top photo courtesy of Kendall Day.