Jonathan Gowdy, B.A. 1993

1993 Major: Economics and Public Policy Studies

How has being an Economics graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?

"I attended law school after graduating from Duke and initially intended to pursue a career in international trade law because I had enjoyed studying international economic theory and trade regulation policy at Duke. During a summer internship in law school, however, I was involved in a litigation dispute that centered on the economic effects of a firm's marketing and distribution arrangements on its primary competitor and ultimately consumers. I quickly recognized the practical benefits of my economics degree, as my knowledge enabled me to understand the key issues in the case and the types of evidence and information we would need to develop persuasive and winning arguments. Upon returning to law school, I took additional courses in antitrust law, which involves the application of microeconomic theory and/or industrial organization economics to the real-world competitive behavior of firms. The vast majority of my practice over the last 25 years has been representing merging firms in front of federal antitrust agencies (DOJ/FTC). My job requires me to develop and present persuasive evidence that the merger will not harm competition or customers by enhancing the merged firm's unilateral market power or its ability to coordinate its competitive conduct with remaining rivals. This work often requires me to analyze economic data and work with PhD economists that are retained to be expert witnesses. Working in this field is also enriching because it allows me to continue to learn and stay abreast of developments and research in industrial organization economics."

What advice would you give students in Duke's Economics programs? 

"While I think students majoring in economics should generally focus on taking courses that appeal to their interests, don't shy away from taking some classes that may challenge you or cover a topic that seems unrelated to your desired career path. For example, I shied away from some of the more quantitative economics classes because I thought it wasn't my strength and I enjoyed focusing on general theory and principles. In hindsight, I wish I had pushed myself to take more econometrics and higher level statistics and math to better equip myself for today's data-driven world. At the same time, I also recall fondly taking classes (such as Economics of Education with Prof. Clotfelter) even though it wasn't related to a topic that I foresaw myself utilizing in a future career."