With the 119th Congress arriving in Washington, D.C. in January, Pritzker School of Law alum and U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (Pritzker ’13) (D-Va.) began his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He previously served in Virginia’s House of Delegates, the state’s lower legislative chamber, before moving to the Senate of Virginia in 2024. The Daily sat down with Subramanyam to explore how his Northwestern experience shaped his congressional career.
This interview has been edited lightly for brevity and clarity.
The Daily: What was the transition like from the Virginia Senate to the U.S. House?
Subramanyam: In the State Senate, you can get a lot done, and it’s important work. I was able to do a lot of great things to lower costs for working families. For instance, in Congress, it’s challenging, especially when you’re the minority, to do small gains and incremental work sometimes. But it’s not that different. Certainly, what I found in Congress is that people pay more attention to everything you say and do and are very engaged. I have a district that’s very engaged in the federal government and Congress because we’re so close to Washington, D.C.
I found the biggest differences are just the amount of attention and scrutiny Congress gets versus the state legislature and also that you can get things done in both jobs. The Senate is probably more incremental, whereas (in) Congress, you take big leaps forward for the entire country.
The Daily: Could you elaborate a little more on how being a representative from Virginia kind of puts you in a unique spot in Congress?
Subramanyam: I live 40 minutes away, and I’m able to drive home to my family. I’m also able to talk to my constituents while I’m in session and meet with them face-to-face back in the district. So, I go to events in the evenings after we’re done voting, and it gives me the advantage of making sure that I’m not stuck in the bubble of Congress — keep everything local and focus on delivering for Virginia.
The Daily: What drew you to Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law?
Subramanyam: I loved the campus. When I visited, I really enjoyed talking to people and hearing about their experiences at Northwestern. One of the biggest factors was that the (former President Barack) Obama re-election campaign in 2012 was going to be close to the law school, and so it was great for me being able to go to law school and still have that experience working for the Obama campaign. … Not only was it close to the Obama campaign, but it was in a great part of the city with a beautiful view and a great campus. I just loved my experience at Northwestern; it was fantastic. I made friends for life and got a great education, and it set me up for doing great things, like being in Congress.
The Daily: What’s been a defining moment or experience of your experience at Pritzker?
Subramanyam: There was one semester where I was able to work on the Obama re-election campaign and work for a federal judge and work in a clinic representing real clients. That gave me a really great set of hands-on experiences that I still keep with me today. I think the number of course offerings and experiences that Northwestern provides really helps you a lot. You can learn the basics of law anywhere, but what was special about Northwestern was how accommodating they were about me wanting to try a lot of different experiences and find what I wanted to do with my career for sure.
The Daily: Can you talk to me a little bit more about how it was like balancing working for the Obama campaign with going to law school?
Subramanyam: Yeah, I only did it for one year, but it was really fun. It was difficult because of the course load combined with needing to fulfill my work obligations, but very rewarding — and the proximity of the campaign to the school obviously helped.
The school, just generally, was really supportive of me trying to go out and do things that were outside of the box. At the time, and I think even now, there was an emphasis on non-traditional experiences in law, and I think that really served me well long term.
The Daily: How did your experience at Pritzker shape what you do now in Congress?
Subramanyam: I think the Pritzker experience of just being able to try a lot of different things and find what I was passionate about and what I was good at really has helped me throughout my career. I’ve been able to use that degree to practice different areas of law and find work that was really interesting to me as I was able to continue working in public service and eventually getting elected. I’ve stayed in touch with a lot of my Northwestern friends. They were very supportive of my campaign. Many even contributed to my campaign, and they’re very excited for me, and I feel like I’ve got this Pritzker family that I stay in touch with that’s all over the country.
The Daily: What advice would you give to current students studying law or pursuing political science?
Subramanyam: I would tell current students to learn the basics and then just try to get as many different experiences as possible. Often, you may think you know what you want to do, or other students may make you think something is more prestigious than something else, but be true to yourself and try a lot of experiences and find what you enjoy the most and make that your living.
Email: migueltsang2028@u.northwestern.edu
Related Stories:
— Trump Administration fires top naval officer, a Medill alum
— Medill alum and NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert uses ‘Midwest sensibility’ to tell stories
— Northwestern asks federal court to dismiss lawsuit over Pritzker’s hiring process
