This past summer, Timothy H. “Tim” Lee (J.D.’10) completed his first year as assistant vice president and senior legal counsel at AT&T. In this role, he manages large, complex commercial litigation involving the telecommunications company.

“You get to help identify issues before they become litigation,” Lee said of his position. “You get to think more broadly about the company’s legal strategy, and you’re really embedded with the business and your internal clients in a way that would be hard in any other type of legal job.”

Lee feels particularly invested because of the people with whom he works. Lee said every day of his work is different and full of unexpected challenges, but a strong team dynamic makes those challenges manageable.

“I get to be a part of a really good team of people who put the mission, the customers and the team ahead of themselves,” Lee said. “And when you work with people who are like that, who really care about their work and work really hard, it’s a really fantastic setup.”

Lee’s career path prepared him well for his current position. He built a robust career in litigation, starting as an associate at King & Spalding, then serving as an assistant U.S. attorney before returning to King & Spalding, where he became a partner.

Throughout his career, Lee credits strong connections with shaping his professional development.

“While, of course, the law matters – the substance, the rules, the statutes – people can underestimate how much our profession is driven by people and relationships,” Lee added.

He began building those relationships at the School of Law, where he found lasting value in creating a community with his peers.

“Georgia Law is such a collaborative place, and it is a place that has a sense of community, where people work well together,” Lee said. “I think experiencing that sort of culture in law school was really helpful for my role now where you’re always working collaboratively with people in high stress situations.”

As a student, Lee connected with mentors who have continued to guide him beyond law school, especially former School of Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge, who helped Lee navigate clerkship opportunities with Judge Lisa Godbey Wood (J.D.’90) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia and Judge Susan Black in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

“I don’t think I made any decisions in law school without running it by him first, and that has continued throughout my career,” Lee said. “He started as a mentor in law school and continues to be a friend and confidant.”

Lee also remains close with Judges Wood and Black, both of whom have continued to be trusted sources of support and perspective.

“When I graduated from law school – and when my clerkships ended – it was really just the start of those relationships, as opposed to the end, and they’ve just been huge influences ever since,” Lee said.

He also built meaningful relationships with School of Law alumni through his role as president of the Law School Alumni Council.

“I felt a lot of gratitude for law school. And [the LSAC] was an opportunity to give back in a small way,” Lee said. “It’s been really rewarding. It’s given me a glimpse into what it takes to become a law school like UGA Law – all the planning, the giving, the really hard work that goes on behind the scenes.”

He added that one of the best parts of his role in the LSAC is interacting with current law students during council meetings in Athens.

“Knowing that my work plays a small role in supporting students – and we get to serve as resources for students – that’s very rewarding,” Lee said. “I think all of us on the board want to be a positive influence on the next generation of law students.”

Lee is optimistic about the future of the law school under its new dean, Usha R. Rodrigues – a professor he remembers vividly from his own time as a law student.

“When I heard that [Rutledge] was stepping down, [Rodrigues] was the first person who came to mind [as a replacement candidate],” Lee said. “If you’ve ever taken a class with her, she is so enthusiastic about the stuff she teaches, and that really carries over to her work as dean. I really think alums and students should be excited about Dean Rodrigues.”

Though his career has evolved across several sectors of the legal profession, Lee remains most proud of the life he has built outside of his work with his wife and three children, ages 7, 5 and 2. He said balancing the demands of his work with his family can be challenging, but having a good team – both at home and at work – helps him navigate all of his responsibilities.

Reflecting on the path he has taken since graduating from law school, Lee appreciates the growth each stage of his legal career has brought.

“As a lawyer, the privilege of being a law clerk to federal judges, serving as a federal prosecutor, working my way to partnership at a large law firm and then being part of this great legal department at AT&T, I’ve gotten to wear a lot of different hats as a lawyer,” Lee said. “It’s rewarding and interesting, and I am grateful for all of those opportunities.”

—Mason A. Brock