Learning By Doing

Going through law school I’ve become a firm believer in the “learning by doing” approach. While in-class learning lies at the heart of any legal education, having the opportunities to apply this learning is what gives Loyola students such big advantages upon graduation. With that said, I have made it a point to get as much practical experience as possible during law school.

As I mentioned before, last summer I worked at Forever 21’s corporate office as a law clerk. Having just finished my 1L year, I was excited to see what I had learned in action. On the first day of my externship I remember being in awe of the sheer magnitude of what was going on. The corporate office seemed like its own little world, equipped with its own Starbucks, photo studios, and entire floors of clothing. But situated at the heart of it all seemed to be the legal department. It was there that I would be able to learn the ins and outs of working in house. From marketing and privacy to employment law, I was exposed to exactly what it takes to run a multi-billion-dollar corporation and made lasting connections in the legal community.

Further, Loyola’s dedication to serving the community is reflected in the variety of clinical opportunities available to students. From tax law to employment rights to mediation, there seems to be a clinic for everyone. In fact, it was this huge pool of programs that drew me to Loyola in the first place.

This semester I joined the Loyola Center for Conflict Resolution’s Conciliation and Mediation Assistance Clinic (C-MAC). Under the guidance of Professor Culbert, I was trained in techniques of facilitative mediation to help people resolve conflicts without going to court in the presence of a trained neutral mediator. After only a few weeks of working at the LCCR, I can easily say that being a part of C-MAC has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my law school career so far. While my job as a student mediator/conciliator is not to provide legal advice to those we serve, I am sure that the skills I’ve gained (and will continue to gather) at the LCCR will further supplement my skillset as an attorney.