NEWS
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL Nontraditional Law School Path Paved the Way for Theo Stamos BY LIZ NEWTON
Theo Stamos JD ’86, did not take the traditional route to law school. Balancing a full-time job as a reporter, she attended night classes at AUWCL.
Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Stamos was deeply influenced by her father’s career in law. Her father’s journey from a prosecutor in Cook County, Illinois, to becoming the Cook County state’s attorney in the late 1960s and later a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, inspired her legal aspirations.
“He was a devoted student of the law and an exemplar of what a public servant should be. I went to law school to become a prosecutor because of my father,” she said. “That I was able to do that job for 32 years was the giſt of a lifetime.”
Choosing AUWCL was a practical decision for Stamos, who needed the flexibility of a part-time program due to her work commitments.
“I liked what I heard about AUWCL, and the night program was key,” she said.
Her first job out of law school was in the Commonwealth's Attorney’s Office, a position she landed through a stroke of serendipity and determination.
“From my reporting days, I knew someone who was an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Arlington. I called him up to ask him how he got his job,” she explained. “It just so happened that a day earlier one of his colleagues resigned because he was moving out of town. I sent in an application. A month later then Commonwealth’s Attorney Helen Fahey took a chance on me and gave me a job.”
Remaining in this role for an impressive 32 years, Stamos was elected as Commonwealth's Attorney in 2011, serving
PHOTO BY
ARLNOW.COM Theo Stamos JD ’86
two terms. Her journey then led her to at the Department of Justice, where she worked under both the Trump and Biden administrations for two years.
Stamos recently assumed the role of Virginia deputy attorney general for criminal justice and public safety. In this capacity, she oversees the daily operations of more than 200 lawyers and professional staff, and advises the attorney general on criminal justice matters.
Reflecting on her background, Stamos speaks proudly of her time at AUWCL, always emphasizing her enrollment in the evening program.
“I am always proud to tell people I attended AUWCL, always pointing out that I was a night student,” she said. “To this day, when young people talk to me about career choices and whether or not to attend law school, I’m a strong proponent of AU.”
Stamos’ journey from a reporter working nights to a prominent legal figure is a testament to her dedication and the opportunities she seized along the way.
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW 13 ALUMNA NAMED VIRGINIA
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
