The name Wally Mlyniec should be familiar to any current Georgetown student. Professor Mlyniec served as director of Georgetown Law’s pioneering Juvenile Justice clinic from 1973 to 2015, a whopping 42 years of service. However, most students probably know Mlyniec’s name from Construction Notes, the sprawling tomes of information that grace the entire campus’ inbox.
As I prepared to leave campus in a few days, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Professor Mlyniec to discuss Construction Notes, his interest in construction, and what he thinks Capitol Crossing will do for the area and for Georgetown Law.
Construction Notes have been a constant across my experience at Georgetown Law. The ambitious Capitol Crossing project, the plan to cover and develop the segment of I-395 adjacent to campus, served as an environmental alarm clock for me during my 1L year. The construction crew’s bright floodlights shining into my corner room at the Gewirz Student Center encouraged me to work well into the night. The first e-mails I received from Professor Mlyniec were not welcome, often informing me of a water shutdown.
As the fog of 1L faded, I began to read these curious e-mails called Construction Notes, filled with the kind of trivia that I desperately needed between reading assignments. Eventually, I would ask people on campus – “So, how about those e-mails from Wally Mlyniec?” There are two responses to that question: blank stares, or instant recognition and mutual understanding.