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Bryan Del Rosario

Law

Bryan Del Rosario(he/him)

Counsel III · Walmart

Gonzaga University - BA, Political Science; Widener University Schools of Law - Doctor of Law - JD

Bryan Del Rosario turned his passion for justice and public good into a legal career that sits at the crossroads of corporate law, philanthropy, and social impact — now serving as a corporate attorney and Counsel III at Walmart, where he helps shape giving strategy, sustainability efforts, and governance for one of the world's largest companies. Before that, he spent nearly eight years at the Council on Foundations advising nonprofits and foundations on how to do good work legally and effectively. A graduate of Gonzaga University and Widener University School of Law, Bryan's path shows that a law degree can take you far beyond the courtroom — straight into spaces where business, community, and change intersect.

Their story

Imposter syndrome is real, Lawyer WalMart

20 min

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Key quotes

“You don't have to prove anything. You're already here. You wouldn't have been hired by Walmart if we didn't think you could do this.”

Bryan Del Rosario, quoting his manager's manager

“You don't always have to look for the home run on that first job because sometimes it's just getting in the door.”

Bryan Del Rosario, Counsel III at Walmart

“You're studying from the same casebooks, you're studying from the same material, you're taking the same exams, you're going to pass the same bar exam. So you know, all that is, is just the school that they went to.”

Bryan Del Rosario, quoting his law professor

“I think it was less than 5%, less than maybe even 3% of the registered attorneys in the United States were Asian or identified as Asian. And I think that there is some sort of stigma for Asian Americans to stay away from the law only because they don't see that.”

Bryan Del Rosario, Counsel III at Walmart

“It really is about being prophylactic. And so really that's what attorneys do. And that's my personality — being very risk averse, looking for mitigation strategies. So it kind of matches my personality.”

Bryan Del Rosario, Counsel III at Walmart

Career highlights

Your undergrad major doesn't have to be pre-law — pick something you can genuinely do well in.

Bryan explains that law schools care about GPA and LSAT scores, not your specific major. He had classmates with art and philosophy degrees. The goal is to get your grades up so you're competitive.

Don't sleep on LinkedIn — a professor found Bryan through it the same day he finished the bar exam and offered him his first real job.

Bryan's professor remembered him as her top student, searched for him on LinkedIn in 2013 when it wasn't even widely used yet, and offered him a position building her legal team. That one connection launched his entire career.

Your first job doesn't have to be the dream job — sometimes just getting in the door is the whole strategy.

Bryan's first position wasn't even an attorney role. It was a temporary contracts manager gig. Within three to four years, he worked his way up to an attorney position at the same organization.

Where you go to law school matters a lot less than what you do once you're there.

Bryan went to Widener University School of Law, not a top-ranked school. Today he works alongside Harvard, Stanford, and Yale graduates at Walmart. His professor told him: you're studying from the same casebooks, taking the same bar exam — so what.

Imposter syndrome is real, but being hired means you already proved something — you don't need to keep proving it.

Bryan admits he often feels out of place in high-level meetings. His manager's manager told him directly: you wouldn't be here if we didn't think you could do this. That advice stuck with him.

Understand the financial reality of law school upfront — you'll likely have six figures of debt, so make sure your career plan accounts for paying it back.

Bryan attended a private undergrad and private law school and came out with hundreds of thousands in loans. He's honest that you need to be realistic about earnings when making this investment in yourself.

Student summary
Bryan Del Rosario is a corporate attorney and Counsel III at Walmart, where he serves as the in-house legal expert for Walmart's entire philanthropic arm — Walmart.org. That means every charitable donation, every cause-marketing campaign, every grant agreement that Walmart touches goes through Bryan first. He makes sure the company follows tax laws, state fundraising regulations, and nonprofit rules so that billions of dollars actually reach the communities they're meant to help. It's a high-stakes, fast-paced role that proves a law degree can take you places most people never imagine when they picture a lawyer. Bryan's path wasn't a straight shot. He graduated from Gonzaga University with a political science degree, struggled to get into law school, earned a master's in organizational leadership to stay academically sharp, and eventually graduated from Widener University School of Law — not a Harvard or Yale, but that never stopped him. His first job out of law school wasn't even an attorney position — it was a temporary contracts manager role he landed because a professor remembered him from class and found him on LinkedIn. He spent nearly eight years at the Council on Foundations advising nonprofits before landing at Walmart. His story is a masterclass in patience, relationship-building, and getting in the door even when the door isn't the one you originally planned to walk through. One of the most real things Bryan shares is about imposter syndrome. He openly admits he often feels like the one person in the room who doesn't belong — surrounded by Harvard, Stanford, and Yale graduates. But his manager reminded him something powerful: you wouldn't be here if we didn't believe you could do it. Bryan has carried that with him, and today he's the only tax-exempt charitable attorney across all of Walmart. His school's ranking didn't determine his ceiling — his work ethic and expertise did. Bryan also speaks directly to students of color — specifically Asian American students — about visibility in law. Less than 3–5% of registered U.S. attorneys identify as Asian, and he's felt that invisibility firsthand, like the time he was mistaken for the IT person at a conference where he was actually the presenter. He doesn't frame it as discrimination, but he names it honestly: representation matters, and the absence of Asian faces in legal media makes it harder for young people to see themselves there. His presence in a role like his is exactly the kind of visibility that changes that. If you're a student of color thinking about law — whether you're unsure about your GPA, your school's ranking, or whether your major is 'right' — Bryan's story is for you. Pick a major you can excel in, protect your GPA, prep hard for the LSAT, use LinkedIn seriously, and don't hold out for the perfect first job. Sometimes getting in the door is the whole move.