Winter 2013

They're a true Stanford Law couple. They met in the stairwell of the law school library, and both ended up working on the Law Review. One year after Chris graduated, and months after Stephanie graduated, they started dating—two years later, they were married. Both now serve as lawyers in Washington, D.C., and their professional and personal lives have benefited from their time at the school to such a degree that giving back has been a natural response for Chris Davies, JD '96, and Stephanie Martz, JD '97.

The Davies-Martzes have generously donated $100,000 to the Stanford Law Fund. Both of them have served on the school's Board of Visitors for the past several years, and Davies periodically recruits at the school for his firm, WilmerHale, where he is a partner.

"We feel we owe much to Stanford given that we're both so happy with the opportunities we've had since graduating, for which the school provided a strong platform," says Davies, who clerked in Northern California and D.C. before joining WilmerHale. "We're also continually impressed with the high quality of education the school provides, and we want to support that. The school has become a real leader in terms of changes going on in legal pedagogy, and that keeps it a step ahead of other law schools."

Martz comments, "I feel that I came out of Stanford with a solid understanding not just of law, but about how to apply what I learned in real-world settings. I felt well prepared to be a clerk, and hit the ground running from day one," says the energetic alum, whose career has included clerking, working in private practice, and doing legal work for nongovernmental organizations before serving as chief counsel for Sen. Charles Schumer of New York.

"Not only is Stanford Law on the cutting-edge of legal education," Martz adds, "but it attracts well-rounded, brilliant people who want to experience the rich life that the campus and the area have to offer. In addition to getting a top education, I had more fun at Stanford than anyone I know who went to a top law school anywhere else, and, to me, that is an important part of what makes it a great place."

Martz and Davies also enjoyed the camaraderie and network fostered by the Stanford learning environment—on both a professional and personal level. In 1994, when Davies was getting ready for an interview to clerk for Judge Blane Michael, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, he approached Martz, who had written an article about Judge Michael, for more information. Martz generously helped prep her fellow student. "It was our first meaningful conversation, and the rest is history," says Davies.

The Davies-Martzes now also have a growing family: Kyle, 11, Nora, 9, and Penelope, 5. "They're not ready for Stanford yet, but we're planting the seeds now," says Martz.