Hello fellow and future Loyolans!
Welcome to another school year! After spending a great summer in Bankruptcy Court, I was excited to come back to school. As difficult as 1L was, it was also extremely stimulating and rewarding. Even though during the summer I had the opportunity to catch up with my friends, I still missed the day-to-day with them. It is true what people say; your law school friends will end up becoming your lifelong friends.
2L has been a completely different experience than 1L. After the heavy academics of 1L, I decided to take advantage of Loyola’s experiential opportunities. I decided to do both the Civil Rights Litigation Practicum and the Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Clinic. By far the hardest part of this year has been the level of independence that comes with working with real issues and real clients. This semester I’ve had to truly exercise time management as the projects for practicums and clinics are ongoing. Surprisingly working independently with real issues and real clients is also the most satisfying part of the work. Representing clients has been an amazing experience that integrates the theory of law with my desire to help communities of color. As a certified law student, I have the opportunity to become a better advocate while providing post-conviction services to people sentenced as youth.
So, I am five weeks in and I am still thrilled to be back and excited for what 2L will bring!