Drive straight up the hill from Lane & Waterman’s offices in downtown Davenport, and you can’t miss the stately buildings of St. Ambrose University. Josh McIntyre, attorney at Lane & Waterman, knows the drive well. An alumnus of SAU, he regularly visits campus, serving as Assistant Coach to the Mock Trial team and as a member of the University’s Wine Festival Committee. The committee was on his mind when we sat down to talk with him about his involvement with St. Ambrose. For him, serving on the committee is more than a fun excuse to try great wine; it’s a chance to pay it forward.

1. Where did you grow up? Sitka, Alaska and Kewanee, Illinois.  Believe it or not, we have harsher winters here in the Midwest.

2. What drew you to attending St. Ambrose? At 18, I really wasn’t committed to a particular major or field of study.  Saint Ambrose had a lot of choices, a nice campus, and a good message about what it wants to be for its students.  It didn’t hurt that my girlfriend and now wife, Ann, went to Saint Ambrose as well.

3. What was your favorite class in your undergraduate studies? I had two: Law and Economics, and Computer Forensics.  Both had big impacts on my studies and are still important to my work today.

4. Why did you decide to pursue a legal education after attending St. Ambrose? I took the opportunity to join the Pre-Law Club and mock trial team during my sophomore year.  Mock trial was my first introduction to “thinking like a lawyer,” and I came to really enjoy discussing trial strategies and cross-examining witnesses.  I learned a lot from upperclassmen who were studying for the LSAT and decided late in my junior year that it was the right fit for me.

5. What is Wine Fest? The Saint Ambrose Wine Festival consists of three events to celebrate great wine and local food while raising funds for student scholarships.  In March, we meet at the Dimitri Wine & Spirits warehouse in Davenport for a casual wine tasting.  Our April event is a formal dinner at Saint Ambrose with silent and live auctions of boutique wines and lots of travel and local-fun packages.  The meal is paired with wine from a featured vineyard and the vintner often presents the history of the wine.  Our final event in May is an outdoor festival held on campus shortly after graduation.  It features nearly 200 wines and lots of food from many local restaurants.  Check out sau.edu/winefest for more!

6. Why are you involved with Wine Fest? I was fortunate enough to receive an academic scholarship to attend Saint Ambrose.  Little did I know, my scholarship was funded in part by the first Wine Festivals in the early 2000s.  My service on the Wine Festival Committee is one way I hope to pay it forward to new students.

7. Why should someone who isn’t associated with St. Ambrose attend Wine Fest? The Wine Festival events are a fun way to meet up with friends and colleagues.  I’m amazed at how many local businesses support the events.  Plus, who could say no to the opportunity to sample so many wines and some of the best food in the Quad Cities?

8. What kinds of changes are you seeing in the students you work with through your volunteering at St. Ambrose compared to when you were a student there? The students are involved in everything.  They are constantly moving among student government, clubs, sports, volunteer activities, work, and class.  This year, they have been having lively debates about the presidential election and Supreme Court nomination.  These are students who are going to make a positive impact on our community in the years to come.

9. What do you like to do in your spare time? I de-stress at the gym as often as I can get there.  I’m also constantly reading something new.  Right now, I’m into Weaveworld by Clive Barker, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin, and Storytelling for Lawyers by Philip Meyer.

Josh practices primarily in intellectual property, information technology, and professional malpractice at Lane & Waterman. Learn more about his work at https://l-wlaw.com/attorneys/joshua-j-mcintyre/.