Upping ACLU Internship Pay Ante, UVA Law Student Wins $650K in Poker Event
In between his work on civil liberties memos, a summer intern in the Nevada offices of the American Civil Liberties Union borrowed a few grand from a poker-playing buddy and entered a tournament.
The result was a World Series of Poker bracelet and a gambling payday of over $650,000 this week for 26-year-old Leo Wolpert, reports the Washington Post. The University of Virginia law student went out to dinner afterward to celebrate his first live tournament win—and showed up for work the next morning at his ACLU job.
Wolpert isn’t sure how he’s going to spend the money, since he doesn’t really need anything, and says he’s definitely continuing with his UVA legal education this fall, the Post recounts.
“It’s not like the money is gonna last forever. UVA is a fun school, and I really do enjoy learning about the law,” Wolpert tells the newspaper. However, he admits, “with the economy as it is, it’s definitely nice to have poker to fall back on.”
Additional and related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Yale Law Student’s Recession-Proof Game Plan: Professional Poker”
ESPN: “Former pro Leo Wolpert wins Event 29”
