Human Connection Over Loneliness and Division

In this episode, Anson Zhou (2024 cohort) interviews Amanda Morrison (2024 cohort), a JD student at Stanford Law School, about the through line connecting her upbringing in Montana, her longtime relationship to dance, her work in documentary filmmaking, and her decision to pursue law. Amanda imagines a world where human connection prevails over loneliness and division. She reflects on how the outdoors and ballet trained her in discipline, endurance, and growth through discomfort, and how those lessons continue to shape the way she moves through new challenges.

Highlights from the episode:

(03:06) Growing up in Helena, Montana and getting into ballet

(08:11) Why she began studying policy

(10:50) Going to China and studying U.S.–China relations

(16:55) Becoming immersed in the world of film and then law

(27:37) Storytelling as a tool in law

(34:55) Pursuing her interests in law school

(52:30) Improbable fact, Denning House snack takes, and advice for future applicants