Living in a mud hut in a west African village doesn’t sound like a training ground for practicing law, but Brian Bewley’s two-year Peace Corps experience set the tone for his legal career, the McGuireWoods partner wrote in an Law360 article published Oct. 22, 2026.
In “Being In The Peace Corps Made Me a Better Lawyer,” Bewley described the difficulty of getting used to living in the village of Poura-Mine, Burkina Faso, where he was one of 10 teachers for 450 students. His job was, officially, teaching middle school science — in French — but over two years he would take on bringing electricity to the school, building a library and other projects.
“Fortunately, the people of Poura-Mine helped me acclimate to my new surroundings quickly, enabling me to learn lessons that have inspired and informed my practice of law for more than 20 years,” Bewley wrote. “These lessons center on solving problems, embracing new ideas, working as a team, and above all, practicing empathy — skills that help an attorney counsel their clients far beyond offering technical legal advice.”