John Waller, L'12

John's headshot

Current Title and Employer: Economic Development Compliance Manager at Amazon

Current Location: Seattle, Washington

How would you describe your job? I am responsible for managing the Amazon.com Economic Development Compliance program.

How did you obtain your job? I began my career working in financial compliance where I learned how compliance programs work in a highly complex regulatory environment. I learned how to develop mechanisms that work to ensure compliance with complex regulations. I was able to leverage my legal education and urban and regional planning education with real world experience to obtain a position with Amazon.

How did your Richmond Law experience prepare you for the work you do now? My legal education allowed me to quickly read and digest legal documents ranging from statutes, administrative codes, to contracts. It also provided a number of mental models that I use to think through and solve problems.

What makes you passionate about your work? Building programs that seek to ensure compliance with complex regulations keeps my day-to-day work exciting and challenging.

What are 3 pieces of advice you’d offer to current students interested in an alternative or emerging career path like yours?

    1. Be open to exploring non-traditional legal career paths.
    2. Continue to be curious and remember learning is a life-long project.
    3. Be prepared for luck being a material contributor to your career.