Still Standing (and Competing)

Law alumna outlasts on Survivor

By Jennifer Clarke

Students searching for a job after law school should no longer feel restricted to the Job Bank on eAttorney—CBS is hiring Mason Law School grads. Caryn Groedel, JD ’85, is a cast member on CBS’ 10th season of Survivor, and at the time of publication, she was still “surviving.”

Groedel, born and raised in New York City, completed her undergraduate work at George Washington University and was a night student at Mason while working as a legal secretary. Upon receiving her law degree, Groedel practiced insurance and real estate law but now works as a civil rights and employment discrimination attorney in her own private practice in Solon, Ohio. She also served for two years as the executive director of the Women’s Law Fund, a nonprofit organization.

This season, Survivor was set in Palau, an island in the South Pacific whose surrounding waters are known for its World War II ship wreckage. Competitors on Survivor develop alliances and participate in challenges to decide which contestant to vote off the island each week.

Groedel and her family, including three daughters, are longtime Survivor fans. A marathon runner, she has an athletic advantage. Being a practicing lawyer may also come in handy in the face of stiff competition. She stated on a CBS preview that her ability to negotiate and her intuition will help her in competing for the million-dollar prize.

This article originally appeared in a slightly different format in the School of Law publication, the Docket.

Caryn Groedel