This year’s Legal Analysis class was given the unique opportunity to learn from the father-daughter duo of L. Stephanie Phillips Mays, instructor of history and philosophy, and Hollibert Phillips, former education department professor for Walla Walla University and Whitman College.
Phillips joined Mays’ class as a guest-lecturer for the second day of instruction and was invited to talk about the importance of thinking with clarity and precision when making an argument persuasive. During his years of teaching, Phillips has earned considerable experience teaching philosophy and logic, and Mays said, “Given the need for clear-eyed thinking and being able to convey complex ideas with skill, I couldn't think of a better person to teach my students.”
When Mays was growing up, her parents emphasized the importance of clear thinking and communication and always had a quote by G. K. Chesterson hanging on the wall that Mays still remembers and holds onto to this day: "There is a thought that stops thought. That is the only thought that ought to be stopped.” She said she wanted to share this way of thinking, reasoning, and looking at the world with her aspiring law students and felt that her dad would be the perfect guest-speaker to teach just that.
The Legal Analysis class was designed to provide an introduction to legal arguments through case reading, analysis, and persuasive writing. Students also learn helpful tips for studying for the Law School Admission Test and applying to law school.
Outside of WWU, Mays serves as the assistant vice president, deputy general counsel for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, focusing on all regulatory issues affecting a healthcare entity. Mays chose to teach this class because she believes that her own WWU education would have benefitted from an introductory class like this one, if it had been available at the time. Now, she is happy to offer that very opportunity to current WWU students so they can develop an idea of what a future in law may look like and gain additional skills to help them get there. Beyond that, Mays simply enjoys being an instructor and getting to work with each of her students.
Posted March 14, 2025.
