Monday, May 10, 2021

What I Love About Loyola



Hello again, Jury of Peers!

It’s Valentine’s Month as I’m writing this which means this post might be filled will cheesy clichés about love, but bear with me okay? Today we’re talking about what we love about Loyola and there is certainly no shortage of topics to talk about!

I’ll start with the thing I love most: the people. At Loyola, you can cultivate great friendships, study groups (and maybe even love affairs) with the people who make up our community. Pretty much everyone from the Deans to the 1L’s are friendly. At this point, I’ve probably mentioned this in several posts, but that just shows you I really love that about LLS. Being around intimidating people was the thing I was most scared of going into law school, and the fact that Loyola is not like that at all is a huge reason I was able to transition to law school and Los Angeles so well.

Next, I’ll talk about something I have a love-hate relationship with: Zoom. Hopefully none of you will need to take class on Zoom next year, but I do want to highlight some of the good things I’ve experienced with Zoom law school. This is definitely a “hot take” but I actually like breakout rooms when people participate. In regular class, you always work with your friends because you sit next to them, but in breakout rooms I’ve gotten to meet some new people which is exciting. I also like that I don’t have to squint to see slides from the back of Merrifield Hall.


One thing I think LLS does differently from other law schools is that they want you to see the law in a practical way. Professors want you to be able to think about the law and use the law, not just theorize about the law (although that can be fun too). And LLS provides so many chances to put that into practice through the clinics, practicums, trial teams, and pro bono opportunities. I love that we actually get to rehearse what it will be like when we can actually practice law.

Just like love in real life, the highs and lows in your relationship with law school are intense. One day, you kill a 20-minute cold call and walk out of class feeling like you could be Amal Clooney someday. The next day, you get a memo grade back and wonder if you should have gone to law school at all. The dichotomy of law school can be stark, but that’s what keeps things interesting. 1L was grueling but exciting. 2L is brutal but rewarding. 3L will be … well, check back next year for that update!

Whatever you’re looking to get out of law school, Loyola probably has something perfect for you!

See you in the next one,
 
Kelsey