“My high school government class inspired me to become a lawyer and get involved in politics. Even my high school yearbook labeled my photo as ‘future lawyer’ and I decided to follow the path of my grandfather, who had been a lawyer in Hungary.” With an early passion and a family history in law, Agnes Dover ’81 almost seemed as if she had a predetermined path for the rest of her life. When most high school students had no idea what direction to go, Dover had a plan to become a lawyer and was ready to put in the work to make it happen. Now, as a 2021 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, Dover reflected back on her career.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Dover’s parents had immigrated to the United States from Hungary. Dover described her upbringing, “Our world straddled a newfound American lifestyle and the traditions of Eastern Europe, so I learned to waltz but also listened to rock-n-roll.” After finding her passion for law, Dover attended college at Baldwin Wallace University — a liberal arts college in Ohio — graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in 1976.

Eager to get involved in politics, Dover’s first job after college was working on Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Campaign. It was this role that led Dover and her husband to Washington, D.C. When her time on the campaign was over, Dover was ready to pursue her law degree. Catholic Law’s robust Evening Program immediately drew her to the school. “I needed to work to afford tuition and was impressed with CUA Law’s night program. It was small and focused, allowing free-flowing classroom discussions that were stimulating even after a full day at the office.”

Dover remembers those interesting class discussions as some of her favorite memories from her time at Catholic Law. It was through them that she developed a sense of community and camaraderie with her classmates — several of whom she remains close with to this day. Dover also fondly remembers the professors who led some of those classes. “Professor Cliff Fishman always had an entertaining story to tell in explaining criminal law and procedure; Father Ray O’Brien brought lots of energy to the classroom, even with subjects that I thought were on the dry side, like estate tax; Professor Harvey Zuckman challenged us with probing questions and comments.”

In the last of her four years at Catholic Law, Dover began working as a law clerk at Steptoe & Johnson LLP. The firm went on to hire her full-time as an associate following her graduation from law school. “I was interested in litigation and was assigned to be second-chair to a partner handling a dispute involving a government contractor. The procedural aspects of trying the case were not nearly as interesting to me as solving the regulatory puzzles so I gravitated to government contracts law.” Dover rose through the ranks at Steptoe — ultimately making partner. Then she decided to pivot her career. Dover left private practice and took a position at the U.S. Department of Energy. “That work gave me an opportunity to shape government contracts policy for the federal government, and to get tremendous experience managing a large legal team.” After three years of working in government though, Dover was ready to return to private practice. She joined Hogan Lovells where she became head of the firm’s Government Contracts Practice and ultimately head of their Global Government Regulatory Practice, before retiring last year.

Over her long, successful career, Dover has felt both rewarded as well as challenged by her work. “It’s been very gratifying for me to be able to continually learn new areas of law and to guide clients through thorny legal problems. The increasing speed at which clients demand answers to complex issues can be daunting, and at times it is a real challenge to provide thoughtful, creative advice at the lightning speed at which the corporate world sometimes moves.”

In an effort to maintain a sense of balance between her busy work schedule and her personal life, Dover found that it was important to make the most of opportunities as they arise. “As a young lawyer, I got involved with the American Bar Association and attended numerous meetings and conferences around the country. My husband was able to travel with me from time to time, so that allowed us to combine a bit of professional development and networking with some leisure time. Otherwise, I have tried to make time for activities that are completely unrelated to work, such as taking piano lessons.”

Reflecting on her trajectory in the legal field, Dover shared this advice for law students and young lawyers today. “It is important to develop an area of expertise (or two) to be competitive in the legal world, whether it is in private practice or public service. Having that expertise gives credibility and gravitas to a lawyer. That said, it is also important to remain nimble and be open to learning new areas of law, particularly as technology continually changes the world, in order to best serve whoever your client(s) may be.”