Alum Tricia Dunlap is living the boldest version of herself. Formerly a high school history and government teacher in Virginia and Florida, she entered law school at 40, inspired by professors and mentors who recognized her potential during her undergraduate studies in political science.

“They saw a young woman in their class who was able and willing to go toe-to-toe and argue political philosophy,” Dunlap said. “I’ll be forever indebted to them because it planted the idea.”

Dunlap admits that teaching was the safe option at the time based on where she was in life — and, as she is with all endeavors, she was passionate about it.

“I really saw myself as preparing the next generation of citizens,” she said. “I was helping to make sure that our constitutional democratic republic survives and thrives.”

Even as she pursued a Master of Arts in American history through a James Madison Fellowship, the dream of a law career never strayed from her mind. Dunlap completed the required fellowship teaching commitment and took the LSAT with nudging from a close friend and support from her parents. Soon after, she enrolled at Richmond Law, graduating cum laude in 2011.

"UR Law changed my life,” said Dunlap. “My experience was the perfect combination of intense challenges that catalyzed my growth, not only as a lawyer but as a person, and enduring support from professors and staff that helped me rise to the challenges."

After graduation, Dunlap embarked on a career at McGuire Woods before founding Dunlap Law in September 2015.

An expert in corporate law, Dunlap now focuses her time on “future-proofing” her firm by finding ways for her staff to connect with and serve their clients more effectively. “We’re a very tech-forward law firm,” she said. Proprietary software developed in-house provides visual dashboards to monitor work in progress, revenue, referrals, and other key performance indicators. A database currently in development will house information about client issues for predictive analytics. Dunlap Law also modified its business model and recently launched subscription plans so clients can reach out whenever they need guidance.

“Small business owners fear calling an attorney because they don't know what it's going to cost,” Dunlap said. “We want our clients to talk to us every time they have a hard decision to make. It’s included in their subscription.”

Dunlap also contributes to shaping the future of law through her involvement in a Virginia Bar Association committee that just drafted a model AI policy for Virginia law firms, introduced statewide in June.

“Artificial intelligence is absolutely going to disrupt our profession,” she said. “I spend a lot of time working to understand what that's going to look like and the viability of emerging tools.”

Named a 2023 Women’s Business Center of Richmond POWERful Women honoree and a Richmond BizSense 2024 RVA Power Woman, Dunlap advocates for authenticity — and a little grit — when pursuing one’s aspirations.

“Every time you do something bold in your life, it gets easier — and you get better at recognizing fear for what it is and saying, ‘I’m doing it anyway,’” she said. “Every time you do that, it opens the door to the next bold thing.”

Driven by a quest for new challenges, Dunlap sees her career journey as far from over.

“My journey got me where I am now, and I know I'm not done,” she said. “There's another chapter out there. I’m not going to stop. When I stop growing, you’ll know that I’m toes up.”