On Friday, June 12, Catholic Law admitted students finished their week with the most recent “Connect with the Catholic Law Community” web series. Hosted by the Office of Admissions, this week attendees were joined by Catholic Law alumnus Chris Concannon ’94, President and Chief Operating Officer of MarketAxess.

Dean Stephen C. Payne welcomed the group and introduced Concannon who has more than 20 years of experience as an executive, working in law practice, and working at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Concannon detailed the stressful, but exciting work he does in his role within the S&P Fortune 500 company.

With questions Dean Payne, Concannon spoke about fintech, digital bond trading, and how the recent global pandemic has made an impact—a potentially lasting one—on the trading structure at MarketAxess. Concannon also shared his experience as a student at Catholic Law and the lasting impact it has had on his career. “My first interview at the Securities and Exchange Commission was with a woman who graduated from CUA Law and she walked me down that hall to another woman who graduated from CUA Law. So, there’s this protection mechanism of all CUA alums and I still use it. If someone sends me a resume with CUA Law on it, they’re coming in to meet me [...] I got the same respect wherever I went with my resume.”

As the event came to a close, Concannon shared his last bit of advice to students considering the start of their law school career in the current economic climate. Concannon said, “Just like I found the economy in 1990, it’s a really super time to invest in yourself [...] Having a college degree, unfortunately, isn’t what it used to be—you have to distinguish yourself and have a brand for yourself. Law is one of the most valuable brands out there. If you are facing the economy ahead, you should definitely be considering a law degree and that is a phenomenal investment with phenomenal returns.”