How I Spent My Summer

After 1L finals, I only had one week before the beginning of my internship at the California Public Utility Commission’s Administrative Law Judge Division. I was excited, but I also felt unprepared for my first legal internship. I kept asking myself: what should I bring? What is expected of me as a first-generation international student who just finished 1L? Will it just be like LRW? Is there anyone else from LLS I might connect with who can help me?

The very first judge that I met who helped me get set up was an LLS Alumna. We talked like old friends about her time at LLS, I asked about professors, and how the campus has changed, and she spoke highly of how the LLS network has served her since graduating. Meeting her helped me settle into my new role as a Legal Intern, and we stayed in touch over the summer.

As a legal intern, I wrote rulings, resolutions, and proposed decisions for the ALJ’s, as well as attended hearings, voting meetings, and weekly lunches where we networked with different people across the CPUC; attorneys and judges alike. Everyone who worked with us interns was so helpful and insightful. I would never have been able to meet so many of them, especially since the state agency was spread over three offices, but the intern supervisors ensured that we got to meet and hear from people with valuable experience and fascinating work.

Having finished 1L gave me common ground with everyone; judges and attorneys were quick to offer their 1L stories, experiences, and advice. They assured me that despite how overwhelming it might have been, I would look back on it fondly and that the work they found was rewarding and fulfilling; showing me I had much to look forward to.

How I Spent My Summer

This past summer, I worked at Jenesse Center, a domestic violence organization, where I managed three immigration cases for clients. My supervisor herself was a Loyola alum (woo woo!). While there, I put to practice a lot of the foundational skills from my 1L – especially my legal research and writing skills. 

Beyond building on skills that 1L taught me, I also gained invaluable experience while learning how to conduct client meetings, work on incredibly complex legal issues, and much more. In this organization, I was given a lot of responsibility, which was really awesome experience – especially after 1L. I learned a lot in that position and loved my time there. 

After the rigors of 1L, even working a regular job felt like a break. When I got home from work, I did not have to do reading for the next day, work on a memo, or update any outline. What a treat! 

I started work the Monday after finals finished, which – yes – was tough to make that immediate transition. 

When I ended my job near the end of July, I had just over two weeks to relax and gear up for 2L. I went to the San Diego, spent time outside, read a few books, saw my friends, and just relaxed. While I do not recommend starting work immediately after finals, I do like being busy, so my crowded summer schedule was nothing new for me. Additionally, even a short summer break is lovely – especially since I have very few actual “summer breaks” left! 

Even still, I was glad to get back in the flow of school after the dust of summer settled, and learn more about the laws I got to work with over the summer. 

How I Spent My Summer

After the rollercoaster that was 1L, I couldn’t wait to regain some freedom during the summer. Of course, I did have a summer externship to be responsible for, but I also prioritized myself and reconnecting with my loved ones. I externed at The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles for their Economic Stability Workgroup. It was an amazing experience working with like-minded individuals who are so devoted to their work. I learned a lot about myself academically, professionally, and personally. Working on cases, in real life, is totally different than reading about them and discussing them in class. Doing this type of work was exactly what I needed to regain my passion for being an “advocate.” This time also served me to create a sustainable routine that would keep me grounded during 2L. I honestly took my free time during the summer as “me” time. I focused on my physical and mental health by exercising regularly, reading poetry, and actually spending quality time with friends and family rather than texting/calling them. This is in contrast to the summer before my 1L. At that time, I did focus on family and friends but I took that time to explore new outside places. This time around, I decided to do some internal exploring, and it was great. 

Introduction

I am so excited to be returning to the Jury of Peers! A lot has changed since I last wrote here. I am in my final year as a law student, and in the next year I expect even more changes as I prepare to graduate in the spring! As a student who’s entire 1L year was online due to COVID-19, this fall was my first official semester where I had a more traditional, “in-person” experience. It has been really amazing being able to connect with my peers daily and engage in class discussion face to face. My favorite part has definitely been the increase of in-person events! It seems like at least a few times a week some organization is hosting a panel, a lunch, a film screening, or some informative event so students who are interested in certain fields of law can learn and network. As the Vice President of the Child and Family Law Society on campus, my organization and I have had a lot of fun putting together informational and panel discussions on family law.

I would say that I am different this year because I have new priorities and things to look forward to in law school. In my final year, I get to shift my focus to post-graduate endeavors, like looking for post-bar employment and preparing for the bar exam. Now, instead of spending a lot of my free time going to look at on-campus opportunities, I am expanding outward. But I still have a few things to check off my bucket list, in and outside of law school. For example, I am looking forward to booking a trip this summer to celebrate taking the bar exam! I also want to continue my commitment to mentoring first-generation students on campus. I am excited for my final year and excited to continue with the Jury of Peers! 

Introduction

Hi everyone! This year I am returning as a blogger for Jury of Peers! I am looking forward to sharing with you some of my experiences and insights about Loyola Law School and law school in general. Hopefully you’ll be interested in reading my future and past posts and learn something new along the way! 

I’m currently a 2L at LLS. This year I’m the treasurer for the Intellectual Property & Cybersecurity Law Society (IPCLS) and helping out as a 1L mentor in both IPCLS and the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA). I’m a student ambassador too, so hopefully I can see some of you at future LLS admission events and tours. I’m also a staff editor on the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review. 

A little bit about me not law school related: 

I graduated from UCLA in 2020 with a B.A. in Spanish. In my free time I like to watch any sports game that’s on (hopefully the Lakers and Rams will improve their records soon). I enjoy watching movies and anime, and keeping up with all the new social, cultural, and culinary trends. I’m also a big theme park enthusiast - I have an annual pass to Universal Studios Hollywood, and I think I know the park inside and out by now LOL. I’m super excited for the opening of Nintendo World next year! Last summer after 1L finals and the law review write-on competition, I was able to cross an item off my bucket list by flying to Florida and going to Universal Orlando. It was such a fun and amazing experience seeing how much bigger and different the counterpart park was in Orlando. I’d recommend anyone who’s thinking of a place to vacation to consider going! Here’s a few fun photos from my trip:

Blogging for Jury of Peers has been a great way for me to creatively write while taking a break from legal writing.  Law school can sometimes be stressful and overwhelming but it’s important to take breaks and stay motivated, but to find a balance and not burn yourself out. 

Thank you all for reading my first blog post this school year and stay tuned for more! 

Introduction

Hello new readers, 

I want to thank all of you for reading my blog. I know that researching law schools and deciding where to apply and enroll can be super stressful, so I hope my posts can help you in your decision. It’s been a while since I’ve written a post for ya’ll, so let me quickly reintroduce myself first. 

My name is Ashli, and I am a 2L Day student. I am originally from a small town in Central Texas, but after high school I moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to go to the University of North Texas. I graduated in May 2021 as a first-generation college student and the first woman in my family to earn a Bachelor’s degree. 

When I came to law school, I intended on practicing International Human Rights Law, but if there’s one piece of advice I could share with you, it would be that law school will change you. Before, I thought the last thing I wanted to do was be a trial lawyer. To be honest, the idea of getting in front of an actual judge in an actual courtroom made me physically ill. Now though, I’ve fallen in love with public defense and being in court. I’m in the Juvenile Justice Clinic now, and I am in court almost once a week appearing on behalf of my clients under the supervision of an attorney, and I could not be happier. If you’d told me a year ago that I would be doing this, there is no way I would have believed you. 

On top of law school changing me, law school has changed this year as well. Of course, I’m still doing readings, memorizing rules, and going to class, but adding clinics and practicums into the mix has changed the law school experience. So many of my peers are working on actual cases with actual clients, writing motions to file with the court, and so much more. We’re still in class, but there’s an added component of law school where we get to do actual legal work even before graduating. This change may seem small, but it changes the entire landscape of law school and really puts everything in to perspective. 

Even though law school has changed my goals and career path, I’m still mostly the same person I was before law school. I still read romance novels in my free time, talk to my family as much as I possibly can, and am still focused on crossing things off my bucket list. Next year, I’ll be able to cross Going To A Taylor Swift Concert off the list, and I’m so excited.  

Even though it’s only been a year and a half since I started law school, it feels like it’s been a lifetime in the best way possible. I’ve learned more than I ever thought I could- about law of course, but also about myself. I’m so excited to continue my education, and I’m even more happy that I get to share it all with you. 

Introduction

My name is Missy Macuja Elizalde, and I am a new Jury of Peers Blogger this year!

I am a 2L Day student, Secretary of the Environmental Law Society, and a student in the International Human Rights Practicum, born and raised in Pasay City, Philippines. I went to undergrad at Emerson College in Boston, and my background before law school was mostly in environmental sustainability and marketing, with a few years as a professional ballet dancer. 

My legal interests are rooted in my childhood in the Philippines, I have a strong passion for human rights and environmental protection, which is what led me to law school in the first place. LLS has provided me with so many opportunities to figure out what kind of path I want to forge within those legal interests, it is so important to explore and see what excites you most!

I am an international student, which I know isn’t very common for law school JD programs and has provided me with a different experience with its own unique challenges in this journey. I am happy to speak to any prospective international students and answer any questions.

Outside of law school, I enjoy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, rock climbing, ballet, scuba diving, and hanging out with my dogs. After tearing my ACL earlier this year and not being able to participate in my usual hobbies, I took up photography so I might still be able to join in without the risk to my knee, and I have thoroughly been enjoying it so far. My bucket list would probably include scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, photographing the Philippine Eagle, and getting to the podium of the No Gi World Championship. 

I am so excited to get to write for the Jury of Peers blog this year!

Introduction

Hello all! For those of you who are just finding Jury of Peers – welcome! I’m Emily, a 2L from Salt Lake City, UT (originally from LA!). 

A few tidbits about me: I studied Creative Writing in college, I lived abroad in Israel for a year after college, and I love to read. Over the summer, I worked at an incredible public interest organization here in Los Angeles where I had the amazing opportunity to manage three immigration cases. 

This year, I am on the Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) board, serve as a staffer on the International and Comparative Law Review, write for the LLS Inter-American Court of Human Rights Project, participate in the Loyola Genocide Justice Clinic, and am a Student Ambassador for the Office of Admissions! Oh yeah, and I go to class too! I love being busy and while it can sometimes feel like a lot of work, I know it is all so worth it!  

2L is different from 1L in that you get to shift from the foundational classes to more of what kind of law you want to learn about. For me personally, I am in more internationally focused classes and international human rights experiential learning opportunities. This is where my interest in law truly lies, so it is great to take classes and participate in a clinic where I really get to dig deep in the law and learn the intricacies behind it all.  

After my 1L, I do see more familiar faces on campus, I know what the Erie Doctrine is (if you know you know), and I get to put to practice the laws that I learn in class. But law school is still a place where I get to explore the world in a new way. I get to ask questions of brilliant legal scholars and research new legal issues in front of international tribunals. I get to challenge myself. 

As a 2L, you feel like you have a slightly better idea of what you’re doing, and campus feels familiar. You’ve also survived 1L, and you have a better idea of what you want to do after school, and what kind of lawyer you want to be. Better yet, you have a good idea of what kind of person you want to be. 

Introduction

Hello all! My name is Itzayary Aguilar and I am a 2L here at Loyola. It seems a little unreal to say that, because I feel like I was just a 1L some weeks ago. So much has changed since 1L and I am excited to share the wealth! I have grown more comfortable on campus and a lot more confident in my abilities. I think this is something many first generation Latinx students experience and sometimes struggle with, especially because imposter syndrome is very real and is completely valid. As a 1L, I spent most of the first semester feeling a bit intimidated and nervous. However, I have learned that many 1Ls feel the same, and everyone is just trying their best to get through it with grace. Now, as a 2L, I realize that it will all be ok in the end, and all you can do is give it your all and keep going. The coursework will always be rigorous and challenging, but you gain and develop skills that help you conquer it. Taking a step back, that is really why we are all law students, to learn and gain new experiences.

The biggest lesson I learned is to truly focus on myself and my own journey. There is a lot of noise on campus about how to study properly, what jobs to apply to, and how many extracurriculars to try out for. Ultimately, none of the noise matters if it is not aligned with what you are passionate about and who you want to be as a professional. Law school feels different in that sense, it feels a lot more like a personalized experience that I am in control of, as opposed to the other way around. With that being said, I decided to be more involved on campus to become more comfortable with the campus itself and I am now a general board member for both the Women’s Law Association and Reproductive Justice LA, as well as the Communications Chair for the Public Interest Law Foundation. Prior to coming to law school, I worked in two different self-help centers, primarily working with family law, restraining order, and unlawful detainer documents. To become familiar with a new area of law, I applied for the State Income Tax Clinic which has given me invaluable experience as a student representative for taxpayers in the appeals process. In sum, I am the product of all of these experiences, mistakes, lessons learned, and more! Please feel free to approach me on campus. I would love to get to know everyone. 

Graduation

Graduation. I wish I could say it was an easy word; a manageable word. But personally, I’m struggling with it more than I thought I would. 

One part of me is excited. 

That part of me is proud that I made it through law school; that I made it through law school in the strangest of times. Glad for the chance to have met some of the smartest people I know and make some new friends. Thankful for the opportunity to even go to law school. Eager to see what life holds for me outside academia. Thrilled to not have homework anymore.

The other part of me is mourning. 

Grieving the friendships, experiences, and little moments that I lost out on due to the pandemic. Yearning for the spontaneous lunch dates and “hellos” on campus that won’t happen anymore. Devastated the free lunches are running out. No one ever deluded me with the idea that law school would be easy, but, man, no one ever told me it was going to be this hard. 

And what’s worse, no one told me that the hardest part of law school is leaving. I’ve spent 23 years of my life in school and now there is no more school. Graduation feels somewhat like a joyous thrust into the shark infested waters of Bar study then practice. Loyola is safe and kind. Real life is not as generous. So, while I’m met with pride for my accomplishments, I’m also met with doubt. 

My safety nets are fraying away with each step I take toward the moment they announce my name from the podium. I have to start making choices – in some cases, I’ve already had to – that will chart the course of my life. 

There is no more “path” to follow. Like many of my classmates, I do not have a post-bar position lined up yet but perhaps that just means there is an uncharted adventure for me to seek beyond the parking structure at 919 Albany. 

For those of you who followed along with me this year, or any past years, I hope you got to see that law school can be joyous as well as arduous. I hope you got to see that if I can do it, so can you. I came to law school with no plans, no experience, and no lawyers in my family; just the delusional belief I could handle it. And it wasn’t always graceful but perfection doesn’t leave much room for character growth.

Law school in itself was a new beginning after a monumental chapter of my life. So, though I’m not a fan of change, law school has taught me how to handle it.  

I strangely thought this day would never come, but I won’t “see you in the next one.”

Summer Plans

Hello all! I am writing this blog post from the library at Loyola, where I have spent more time than I would like to admit (and at least 10% of it has been napping at the desk because I deem that a good way to use my time, I guess). Anyhow, two years and twenty blog posts (give or take – I’m not good at maths) later, I am here to tell you what I plan on doing with my summer after graduating from Loyola. (But can I first once again mention how ridiculously fast time has flown by?)

Now, onto what I plan on doing this summer:  I do have something lined up after graduation, but it’s not long-term, so I’ve recently started applying for full-time jobs back home in preparation for my return. I’m pretty excited to be seeing my friends and family again, but I’m definitely also very sad about leaving LA (admittedly, a pretty big reason is probably the weather – it recently snowed back home (yes, in April!!!!), and I’m not looking forward to having to actually wear a winter jacket again). 

Between the job applications (and stress eating), I’ll be spending two weeks on a road trip around the US with some friends (only ever as a passenger though, because I still do not have a driver’s license, so I will be the snack supplier to make up for my lack of driving). Honestly, I didn’t spend much time travelling during the academic year – the furthest I went was San Diego on a weekend road trip – because (a) I cannot drive and so it wasn’t like I could go far even if I wanted to, and (b) because, duh, school. However, soon I’ll be exam and reading-free, and I absolutely plan on making use of that before leaving the country. 

Since this is my last blog post (ever!), I’m feeling inclined to just ramble on and on (and on), but there’s really nothing left for me to say. So with that, I would just like to say good luck to anyone who is applying (or has already applied) to Loyola! Moreover, to any LLM students who will be moving to a whole new country (or even continent), and leaving all your friends and family behind, I know how nerve-wracking that can be/seem. And while  I can only speak from my experience, if yours ends up anything like mine, you’ll have an amazing time both at Loyola and in LA, and become part of a community of people.

And with that final tiny ramble, I’ve had a great time writing for Jury of Peers, and hope you all have a great summer. 

Summer Plans

The spring semester at law schools, especially at Loyola, is always filled with new possibilities as to what the summer will hold. There are so many opportunities for students, including on-campus clinics, and the hundreds of externships Southern California, even nationwide, have to offer. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, students can always start by narrowing their options down by their interest. As a student interested in family law, I exclusively looked for summer opportunities in the public and private sector that were family law based. I am pleased to announce that I have accepted a summer associate position with Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt and Klein, one of the largest family law practices in Southern California. I am greatly honored to be accepted into this position, as many family law firms do not offer summer associate positions. This opportunity would not be possible without the various resources at Loyola. For example, I first learned not only about this position, but family law in general, from my alumni mentor, Ms. Ashley Andrews. We were matched under the Loyola Alumni Mentorship program and she has been a great resource for finding opportunities. Secondly, the Judicial Field Placement program run by Professor Delfino was an immense help in acquiring this position. I truly feel my experience working with a family law judge in the Superior Court was critical to my application. Finally, the Collaborative Family Law Clinic in the Center for Conflict Resolution offered by Loyola was great experience to make me a strong candidate. I am so grateful for the opportunities at Loyola, and am excited to start at my summer associate position!

Summer Plans

It is hard to believe that my 1L year is coming to an end and I am gearing up for finals and my summer internship! While days and weeks of this year have felt never-ending, this year has flown by. After finals, I am excited to begin an internship at the office of the Los Angeles County Counsel, with a focus on providing legal support for the LA county board of representatives. Loyola was very helpful in securing this job early in the application process. I was connected to this employer through LLS’s on campus interviews (OCI) and secured the position after two rounds of interviewing. OCI consisted of a resume collection by all the employers participating followed up by interviews for those whose resumes were selected. All of this was organized on an online platform called Symplicity, which was easy to use and made the whole process very organized. LLS was a huge help in preparing my resume, sharpening my interview skills, and talking through the different kinds of employment opportunities that would be available. I have always had a strong public interest focus, and I am very excited to learn more about the legal issues facing our local government this summer. 

Summer Plans

This summer I will be externing for Judge Fruin of the Los Angeles Superior Court - Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Judge Fruin has a close relationship with Loyola Law School and a lot of his externs come from Loyola. I will be externing for Judge Fruin along with 2 other 1L’s from LLS.

During the fall 2021 semester, Professor Delfino, who is the director of the externship department at LLS, dropped by after one of our classes to introduce us to judicial externship opportunities. Judicial externship opportunities are available to 1L’s during the summer and 2L’s during the school year. After 1L midterms that semester, the career counselors also visited one of our classes to inform us about the resources that the career development office provides. We were all required to make a counseling appointment so that our counselors could get to know us and help us draft our resumes. 

The application process for a judicial externship happens early and is very competitive. Judges began accepting applications for 2022 summer externships on December 1, 2021. Judges will either require a hard copy to be mailed to them or accept applications via email. The materials required to apply include a cover letter, resume, writing sample (usually an objective memorandum from your legal writing class), and a copy of your current 1L grades. My career counselor was awesome and very attentive and helped me look over my cover letter and resume. I also got feedback on my writing sample from my professor and the Legal Writing Assistants Program.

After I sent my applications in December, Judge Fruin reached out to me in January for an interview. I was able to set up a mock interview immediately with my counselor and she provided me with professional feedback. The mock interview helped me practice and made me less nervous. I had my interview with Judge Fruin over the phone and he offered me an externship position, which I accepted. I am super excited to be working in the courthouse this summer and to learn more about the legal processes in court. Hope everyone has a successful and fun summer! 

Summer Plans

So, it seems my plans are finalized for the summer!

This summer, I will be working with the California Department of Industrial Relations as a legal intern for the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). Woot Woot! I’ll be helping combat wage theft, protecting workers rights, and upholding employment laws in workspaces. It’s a ~9-week program that spans from June to August.

I secured the position via the PICD, the fair where nonprofit legal aid organizations come together and interview law students for possible internships. I cannot stress enough how imperative the fair is for finding opportunities. 

As for the fall… that is such a long way away. I’m thinking of undertaking an externship with a legal aid organization, or maybe taking a judicial externship for the semester. But I have a feeling that an externship won’t be needed. I think I’ll be busy with my plans as is.

As I write this, I plan on writing on to Law Review, trying out for Trial Advocacy, and applying for a clinic. All of this alongside working a part-time job as an Auditor. This, to me, will offer more than plenty of things to do for my 2L year!

There really is no right or wrong answer for undertaking opportunities in your 2L year. But I will give two pieces of advice:

1) follow your intuition. Go where your skills and passions are best suited. 

2) make connections. No matter where you go or what you do, always be sure to make friends and meet new people.  

And finally, HAVE FUN! Law school is three years. But it can be exciting, fun, and rewarding, if you play your cards right and enjoy the experience. I won’t lie and tell you that exams are fun. Nor is the studying; or the outlining; or even the impending thoughts of what you’ll do after law school. But the friends you make, the things you learn, and the experiences you have make the journey all the better.  

And when the time comes to enter law school. You’ll be ready.

That said, this is Jae Kinney, signing off. Until next time…

Summer Plans

I truly cannot believe how fast this year has gone. As cliché as it sounds, it really feels like just yesterday I was walking on to campus for the first time trying to pretend like I knew where I was going. This past year, I’ve learned so much both in and outside of my classes. Truthfully, I learned more about myself in this past year than I ever have. I learned how I handle pressure, how I deal with living so far away from my family, and how I tackle new challenges. And I’ve learned what I am most passionate about, and I cannot wait to spend this summer and beyond doing the work that I love. 

This summer, I will be working at the Los Angeles Public Defenders office as a summer law clerk. I’m not sure which office I will be working in yet, but I am hoping to work in the appellate or immigration division. No matter which division I am placed in, I am so happy for the opportunity to work in public defense, and I am hopeful that this will lead to even more opportunities in the future. 

Before I came to law school, I hadn’t looked into criminal law as a potential career field at all, but after taking Criminal Law my first semester, I found myself more interested in that than any other field of law I had looked in to. From there, I talked to my career counselor who gave me tips on where I could find summer openings. I also started attending Criminal Law Society events and meetings where I learned interview skills and other criminal law opportunities at Loyola and in L.A. 

Without all of the help and resources I found at Loyola, I may not have realized public defense is the field of law I am most passionate about, and I may not have secured this summer position. It is crazy to even think that soon I’ll be finished with my 1L year and working as a law clerk this summer. Time really has flown by, but I’m so excited to continue on this journey and cannot wait to see what this summer and the next year brings. 

The Original Social Network

Hello again, Jury of Peers!

There are 2 kinds of people in law school: people like one of my friends who love to network, and people like me who find networking extremely daunting. It’s not that I don’t like to meet new people and make new friends in the industry, it’s just that I’m shy. I know, it’s a word not often associated with lawyer-types, but we exist! So, if you’re a shy person who wants to go to law school let me hand down a few nuggets of wisdom about how to build a network when you’re shy (or just bad at networking). 

Tip 1: Phone a Friend

A great way to network without feeling so awkward is to go to events with a friend. Whether or not they love to network, going to events with a friend gives me a social respite where I can relax for the moments in between actively networking. 

Tip 2: Home-Field Advantage

Loyola actually hosts quite a few networking events on campus, both mixers and speaking events. Sometimes just being in a familiar environment can ease the stress of networking, so going to events on campus can make networking more bearable. 

Tip 3: Have a Job to Do

This tip is not for everyone, but personally, I find networking to be easier when there is a common goal or an external reason why you are connecting with new people. For example, I was doing an informational interview with an attorney who told me he did most of his networking in law school by being on the board of a club and planning speaking events. Fast forward to my 2L year, I ran for speaker chair on DSBA (student gov’t) so that I had an external reason to reach out to attorneys I thought were really cool. Asking them to come speak to campus is a great way to bring attorneys to the home-field (see: tip 2) and create a common goal you both are working towards: a successful speaking event.

To be frank, my in-person networking skills have atrophied during the Zoom Era but that’s not to say there aren’t advantages to zoom networking too. One major advantage is that you get to be in your own environment which can be soothing. Another is that the interactions tend to be more intentional since most people can’t stumble into Zoom rooms the way you can stumble into an in-person event. 

My favorite event that I have been to was actually on Zoom my 2L year: Women in Big Law. It was a small group of women talking about the troubles and the triumphs of being a woman in law. It felt very intimate even though we were all dispersed throughout the country. And it was a great way to meet lawyers that normally would be geographically hard to reach.

Any way you want to network is good, especially when you’re just starting out. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because 9 times out of 10, it will be a positive experience. 

See you in the next one (for my very last post ever!), 

Summer Plans

This summer, I have an internship with a local organization in Los Angeles. I was able to get this job through the Loyola on-campus interview program earlier this semester. 

I’m excited to step out of the classroom and put the skills I’ve learned this semester to use by helping the organization and working on real cases. 

The great thing about 1L at Loyola is you spend a lot of time learning the foundations of what you will need in your first summer job. After spending almost a full year focusing on legal research and writing, I feel confident in my ability to help the organization conduct research that will help the senior attorneys in their work. 

Beyond research and writing, the broad scope of classes we take in 1L allow us to have a strong base of learning about different court procedures, local laws, and how we can apply those to help wherever we are working reach an answer to whatever issue they need help solving. 

Because Loyola has such a large reach in Los Angeles, I was also able to speak with someone who has worked at the organization where I will be working. They were able to give me advice on how best to serve the organization and the greater community as a whole. It made me really excited for the summer and getting the practical, real life experience that will best prepare me for 2L and beyond! 

Summer Plans

I cannot believe my first year of law school is coming to an end! Reflecting on all the things I have learned and experienced thus far, I am so proud of all of us! One of the most daunting experiences was oral arguments, but I lived to tell the tale. It wasn’t as bad as I thought, and I actually had fun. I used to hear about grad students writing lengthy papers and all the reading they had to do, and I thought, “I could never.” Yet, here we are and yes I could! It has been a very challenging experience, but I keep reminding myself it is worth it. It’s important to find something to look forward to, so currently I am looking forward to my summer internship! I am excited to apply the skills I have been developing and to learn more about real-life practice. 

I will be working full time this summer, so I don’t want to overwhelm myself with summer classes, but I am considering it. I also really want to spend time with my friends and family, because it has been hard to do that throughout the semester. Otherwise, I don’t have any set plans for the summer. I think I want to take it as it comes and try my best to enjoy it before 2L. Part of me wishes I would have enjoyed my free time prior to law school, because there’s so much to do all the time, but again I know my hard work will be worth it. At some point at the beginning of the school year, someone told me, “During 1L they scare you to death, during 2L they work you to death, and during 3L they bore you to death.” I can’t say much about 2L and 3L, but at times I was scared to death this year LOL. I think we all were, because we didn’t know what to expect but Loyola has been such a welcoming place with a lot of great people. 

Networking & CDO Opportunities

Loyola provides many opportunities to network and to learn more about the different areas of law. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Loyola has many student organizations and groups that represent many ethnicities and the different areas of law (for more information on student groups, see this link: https://studentaffairs.lls.edu/student-organizations). The 2L’s and 3L’s in a student group will inform and give advice to the 1L’s about what that area of law entails. The student groups will disseminate information about student opportunities and networking events. The student groups also organize guest speaker events with professors and attorneys to give insight into their areas of expertise and to answer questions that students may have. For example, during the fall 2021 semester, I attended an event hosted by Consumer Law Society, where a guest speaker attorney gave an inspiring talk about perseverance and gave us networking tips. He recommended writing handwritten notes because they stand out and are memorable. Last month, I attended an intellectual property panel organized by the Intellectual Property & Cybersecurity Law Society. I heard from current Loyola professors and attorneys about trademark, copyright, and patent law. As a bonus and an incentive for students to attend, a lot of these guest speaker events will provide lunch for attendees.  

Loyola also has an awesome career development office. All the counselors are very friendly and work closely with all students in helping us draft our resumes and cover letters when we are applying to our first summer jobs. The career development office has set up very helpful workshops to give students advice on resumes and interview skills, and hosted informational panels about summer and career opportunities. Loyola also uses “Symplicity,” which is a portal for students to access information about potential employment opportunities and applications. The career development office often updates the portals with new listings and frequently notifies students when new opportunities arise. 

Overall, there’s been many opportunities for students to network, to learn more about areas of law, and to pursue employment. It’s up to us to seize these opportunities. Don’t be shy or let anything hold you back. Attend as many events as you can, because you won’t regret it. 

Advice on Network and Career Opportunities

ADVICE ON NETWORK AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

As I said before, Loyola’s network is solid! And for those interested in PI work, there’s a lot of opportunities. 

First, I would take part in the Public Interest Career Day (PICD)! It’s hosted in February 2022 and provides a great opportunity to get in touch with nonprofit organizations you’d like to work with and earn interviews. 

I would also suggest speaking to professors and faculty on campus for research opportunities. There’s quite a few who are always looking for students to undertake research for. 

I also can’t stress enough the importance of joining clubs on campus. As someone who’s part of three (BLSA, DSBA, and CLS), I can say with utmost certainty that I’ve been able to meet new people and make connections thanks to these clubs. 

Also don’t be afraid to reach out to professors, alumni, faculty, and other students just to speak. Everyone on campus is more than welcome to speak about opportunities. And I can assure you, they’ll have a lot of insight about their experiences in the legal field. 

As I write this post (mid-March), I’ll be applying for clinics, trial advocacy, and possible externships for the fall. Don’t stress too much about these things during your fall semester; the time will come to discuss these and apply. Just focus on finishing your first semester of law school during the fall. 

And IF there is a Barrister during your law school years, go to it. 

From personal experience, law school does take up a good chunk of your life. Literally speaking, it IS your life for three years.

If there’s ever an opportunity to know your peers outside of a school setting, Take the opportunity. It’ll be fun, and besides, what else do you have to do on a Friday night? I mean, this year, it’s Wednesday night, but we don’t have class the next day. So…

Last thing. Don’t limit yourself to just one opportunity or field.

Be open to any and everything, because that’s how you’ll find out what area of law you’re truly interested in. Even if it doesn’t sound appealing at first, just go for it. You never know where that interest will take you.

And just as you’ll find out as well, the areas of law are more connected than you may think. A housing internship may lead you to a Big Law opportunity down the road. Or a writing class you take now could be useful to you when you enter tax law.

You just never know.

Anyways, have fun with this. Law school is exciting, fruitful, and very rewarding if you follow your heart and do what makes you happy.

You got this. 

Networking and CDO Opportunities

When I first came to law school, I had no idea how anything in the legal field worked. I knew I needed to secure an internship for my summer after 1L, but I didn’t know where to start to get one and wasn’t completely sure which area of law I wanted to practice. Luckily, organizations on campus and the Career Development Office have so many events to help students with this problem. 

My favorite event I attended so far was a student-run panel for the Criminal Law Society. At this event, Loyola students who have worked in the criminal law field answered questions and gave advice to the attendees to help us secure an internship. They gave tips on how to apply, who to talk to, what working at specific offices will be like, and how to do well in an interview. Before I went to this event, I had scheduled an interview with the Los Angeles Public Defenders Office. This was my first real job interview, and I was so nervous. The students on the panel answered my questions and gave me tips on how the interview would do and eased the concerns I had. They also sent us their emails so we could connect with them should we have any more questions. It was a wonderful way to learn more about the field and internships as well as get in touch with students who will be working in the field in the future.

Almost every day there is some event going on during the lunch hour that involves networking or learning about the different areas of law. There are also events where guest speakers like practicing lawyers or even judges will talk to students about their experiences. The career development office also puts on events to help with resume building, looking for internships, how to network, and more. Going to these events has really helped ease my concerns about both getting an internship as well as a job after law school.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Hello again, Jury of Peers! Today we are talking experiential learning and all the benefits. I’m not going to lie, I was very scared to take experiential classes because I thought I wasn’t ready and was going to look stupid compared to everyone else, but that was not the case. I really enjoyed my experiential learning and I encourage you to do as much of it as you can while in law school.

I really wanted to do a clinic but, unfortunately, the stars never aligned. However, I have taken many experiential classes that I want to share with you. 

First things first: Trial Advocacy. I truly think this is a class everyone should take, whether you’re interested in going to trial or not. It gives so much context to so many of the classes you take like evidence, criminal procedure, and legal writing. It also helped me test out being a trial lawyer to see if it was for me. I got to work in a group to try to convict a drunk driver which was a really eye-opening experience. The class itself doesn’t have a lot of reading so it’s a great elective to add in if you have a particularly heavy reading load as well. 

The second class I took that I also believe everyone should take is Motion Picture Contract Drafting. I know, I know, it might sound boring but I actually had a really fun time in the class. We got fake deal memos every week and basically did scavenger hunts through template contracts to make a contract that fit the deal memo. To be honest, contracts was not my favorite 1L class, but after taking this class and getting context, I definitely changed my tune. 

The third class I took was intro to negotiations. The thing I loved most about this class was my partners in our midterm and final negotiation. Most of law school feels like you’re fighting by yourself, so having a teammate felt really good. Getting to call to debrief after and re-live the highlights was amazing. I feel like I didn’t get a ton more out of this class than negotiation classes I took for my business major, which is why I wouldn’t recommend everyone take it like the previous two, but if you’re interested, it definitely gives you practice in legal negotiations.

The last experiential class I took is not marketed as one but I consider it to be one: ethical lawyering. In that class we do a client counseling portion of the class where you meet with a client then write a memo about it. I personally think that being able to create rapport with clients is a huge part of the job so getting a few chances during that class to meet and discuss a case was a huge plus for me.

Hopefully I’ve allayed some of your fears (if you had any) about experiential learning at Loyola. Everyone is really kind and willing to help you if you struggle in these classes just like any of your other classes. There are so many ways to earn your experiential units that truly the only “wrong” way to do it is to not invest yourself in them.

Networking and Career Development Opportunities

After fall semester, and you survive your 1L finals, you can start thinking about getting a summer job. 

Even in the fall, but mostly in the first few months of the spring semester, there are panels during the lunch hour with practicing attorneys from a wide range of practice areas – criminal law, corporate law, public interest law, and so much more. At these panels, you can ask questions and hear about their experiences in the real world – not the tailored 1L classroom world. 

Beyond the panels, Loyola offers OCI (on-campus interviews) for a wide variety of interests. I participated in the Public Interest OCI. This session of OCI is a bit different because it’s Southern California wide so the people interviewing me were not just interviewing Loyola students, but also students from other Southern California law schools. 

Not only is OCI great experience for interviews, but it’s great practice getting different cover letters done for a wide variety of jobs. One of the best things you can do is write a great cover letter – which the career development office has workshops on if you need help.

The networking events and speaker series that Loyola puts on have looked a bit different this year, as they have still been over Zoom, but the speakers are all too happy to give their emails so you can reach out with follow up questions and potential contacts. 

Beyond the Career Development Office, some of the affinity organizations offer dinners and lunches on campus with alums, teachers, and other students – all of which are invaluable connections to make at law school. Some of these events are more formal, but some are casual on a lawn on campus. They are fun and easy ways to make wonderful connections with classmates you see around campus, as well as connections with the world beyond our small Loyola gates. 

Networking and CDO

Although I have tried to attend different panels for different topics, I have not been able to attend any involving guest speakers. However, one of my friends attended a panel and set up a private meeting with the guest attorney for me and another friend to attend. The attorney we met with has experience working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office which was really fascinating to hear about. Aside from this experience, I have been able to learn about the different roles of government attorneys and property tax attorneys through my mentor. I have already learned so much, but I know there is much more to learn about. I hope to attend panels throughout this semester and the rest of my time here at Loyola because they’re easily accessible and allow students to ask questions. Networking and attending events are great ways to network and build connections. Prior to attending law school, I was very nervous about networking and having to meet new people, but it’s been great so far. The COVID pandemic caused many of us to stay indoors and work from home, which for me was the reason I dreaded interacting with others in-person. Fortunately, Loyola has been very cautious and aware of CDC guidelines. Some panels and events have been remote while others have been in-person. It has been interesting navigating law school during a pandemic, but I am grateful for in-person learning. Another warranted effect of the pandemic is that OCI was virtual this year. 

I previously thought OCI was for big law and other law firms, but I was surprised to learn that there is an OCI for public interest and government law positions. Truthfully, I didn’t know whether to bid on as many positions as possible or to focus on a select few. I decided to bid on as many as possible and hope for the best. As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, I had several interviews and received many great offers (exciting!). I recently accepted my summer job offer with a public interest organization and I am very excited to get hands-on experience. The work will be remote but I know it will be a great experience nonetheless. If you are out there reading this as a prospective law student, be fearless, be daring, and remain flexible!

Experiential Learning Fair Opportunities

The Career Development Office is always bringing so many opportunities and speakers for law students to learn about various areas of law. One of the greatest opportunities, especially for 1L students, is the Experiential Fair. This two-week long event is full of informational sessions where students can learn about various clinics. In addition, students get the opportunity to learn how to apply for judicial externships, or receive course credits for working in the public service sector and in private firms during the school year. I highly recommend all 1L students, and even 2Ls looking for more experience, to watch out for emails and the website about this event. Here, I was able to not only learn about all of the various experiential opportunities available, but I was able to narrow down what opportunities I was the most interested in and what I thought would be the most valuable to my law school experience. Whether the event is virtual or in-person, the Experiential Fair is accessible to all students, as many opportunities will have informationals in the evening and in the lunch hour, so both day and evening students have access to these resources. I highly recommend, especially to the 1L class, to keep an eye out for this event!

1L Elective

This semester, I’m taking Law and Privacy Torts.

It wasn’t my first choice. I was gunning for Criminal Procedure this semester, but I couldn’t get the class. 

I did, however, get into Law and Privacy Torts. 

And I’m glad I did.

Law and Privacy Torts examines the tort of Intrusion Upon Seclusion (IUS) and anything related to invasion of privacy. 

I love this class because it moves at a more relaxed pace. It doesn’t hit you with a gazillion different concepts in one day. You examine the elements, concepts, and cases in-depth. 

And perhaps more than other classes, you feel comfortable making mistakes and getting cold-called on. In part because this class is designed to improve your law school skills.

That said, the class helps with test-taking. Each week, we work on Hypos and issue-spotting exams. We use what we learn in class and apply it to previous exams. 

I know that sounds redundant. But not every professor offers practice exams or multiple-choice hypos to improve your skills, let alone time to learn how to approach an exam. Sometimes, all you have is your outline and (maybe?) some in-class questions.

That said, I genuinely appreciate the class for providing hypothetical essays and multiple-choice questions. As a 1L, there’s not a this of time to learn how an actual law school exam works. And even if you practice some before school begins, it doesn’t always translate to the real-world exam. 

The class is super supportive, and I do enjoy learning about privacy torts. It’s quite helpful for any area of law you pursue. 

1L Elective

One of my favorite things about Loyola is that 1Ls get to take an elective in our second semester. While I know what I want to do with my law degree, it’s great for those who aren’t sure because they can take an elective early to help them decide what law career they want in the future. It’s also a great way for us to take classes that we are interested in and be able to learn some fun material. Because I didn’t do my best last semester, I am in the Law and Process. While I was definitely sad that I did not get to be in an elective I chose, Law and Process has been very interesting, and I love what I’m learning. 

In this class, we learn about privacy rights. We’ve just started studying paparazzi laws, and it is so cool to be learning about paparazzi in a city like Los Angeles. Also, with social media becoming more and more prevalent in our lives, it will be interesting to learn how our privacy rights may be affected by our online lives. On top of this, we also learn practical law school skills like notetaking, outlining, and how to answer both multiple choice and essay questions. We also have class discussions where we share what we may have done wrong in the first semester and how we can improve. It made me feel a lot better to know that I wasn’t alone in my struggles and have a whole class of people who were willing to share their experiences.

In the end, taking any elective is a great way to learn more about the law and law school outside of the first year. Even though I did choose to be in this elective, it has been a great way to find what I am interested in and learn about a field of law that I did not know about before. It has also helped me so much in learning how to do well in law school, and I know I will do better this midterm and finals season because of this class.

1L Elective

For my 1L elective, I’m taking Critical Race Theory. I chose it because I wanted to learn more about CRT, especially in the legal context. CRT is a hot topic in the news right now, and I wanted to really know the details of it. 

The electives are small classes – mine is only 11 other students – so there are a lot of opportunities for participation and class discussions. In CRT, these discussions are especially important because they allow us to explore each topic thoroughly, through the text, and through personal experiences. 

At times, the theories we study, the stories we read can be difficult. Often, my classmates and I relate a theory we’ve just learned back to tough and emotional cases we all remember from Criminal Law, or Torts. But beyond this, I’ve learned so much about my classmates and the stories they have to share. 

If I needed a reminder that I go to school with intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, and incredible people, this class reminds me every time we meet. My colleagues in CRT come from a variety of backgrounds and bring grace and new perspectives on each topic. They push me to think more critically about certain things, be more thoughtful, and be more authentic in the classroom. 

In CRT, we are not asked to approach anything we read – essay, case, story – with anything but our open minds and critical thinking skills. We aren’t creating case briefs or outlines. We’re creating a community of future attorneys better suited to approach the diverse world we live in with actual empathy and a critical eye to recognize the wrongdoings in certain areas. 

CRT is a great break from the legal jargon and the technical classes we take first year to form a strong foundation of legal education. But CRT is helping to form that strong foundation in a different way – helping us to strengthen our critical thinking skills so we can see future clients as what they are: individuals with their own story to tell. This foundation will help us to be better attorneys, and even more than that, better people. 

Preparing for Summer Internships

Law school is completely different from undergrad in so many ways. One of the differences is the ongoing academic responsibilities but another is the prioritization of gaining hands-on experience. In undergrad, I think I had an internship class where we received guidance on how to obtain, prepare, and maintain an internship. The requirement was that we complete 90 hours at our internship. As a 1L I have had to juggle readings, studying, and outlining while also figuring out what I will be doing this summer. I participated in OCI and Public Interest Career Day which was an interesting experience. I had about nine interviews in total and each one was 20 minutes long. Fortunately, three of the interviews took place throughout one week, but Public Interest Career Day took place on a single Saturday. That means I had six interviews in one day. Through interviewing, I learned most summer internships are ten weeks long, full-time. Some positions are paid and some are unpaid, but I am just excited to work this summer either way. It just so happened that I also had to be working on my third graded assignment for Legal Research and Writing. At this point, we’ve all turned it in but it is unbelievable how fast time passes in law school. Needless to say, I was very stressed. Every interviewer I had was very friendly and welcoming so most interviews felt like normal conversations. It was an enriching experience because it’s almost as if you get to practice and apply your interviewing skills over and over again. I have received job offers from some of the places I interviewed for, but it is very difficult to make a decision. Each place has so much to offer! All that being said, I am very much looking forward to the summer.

LLM Interview Program

I think that one great thing about Loyola is the resources. Back in December, I received an email about the LLM Interview Program, linking me (and all LLM students) to a website with an extensive list of employers and job opportunities. Since it was during finals, I skimmed the email and forgot about it entirely until early January, when I checked my email again, and found five reminder emails. 

Now, I won’t go into too much detail on the process, but I submitted my resume to five companies, and ended up with an interview! Now, I want to add that after being selected for an interview, a candidate has a deadline to accept the interview. I put it off until the last day (I had reasons, I promise! I am a procrastinator, but this time procrastination was not to blame), and, in what I personally consider a testament to Loyola, I ended up getting a call around noon the day of the deadline. I, of course, did not pick up, because while I am pretty much glued to my phone most days, I somehow manage to never pick up any phone calls. I was left a nice voicemail though, and it turned out that it was Career Services calling me to remind me to accept the interview if I wanted to, and to give them a call back.

Anyway, I guess what I want to say is that Loyola helped me, because I now know exactly what I’ll be doing this summer (I just heard back this afternoon!!!!). 

Experiential Learning Opportunities

I have had the amazing opportunity to take advantage of so many of the experiential learning opportunities here at LMU Loyola Law School. My fall semester of my 2L year I participated in the Center for Conflict Resolution’s Collaborative Family Law Clinic. Every Friday, we participated in pro-bono mediation sessions for families who were interested in pursuing a more amicable approach to divorce proceedings. As clinical students, we would do the initial interview of each party, debrief the volunteer attorneys on any legal concerns, and facilitate the mediation. The experience was helpful in solidifying my interest in family law. In addition, this semester I am externing with the Honorable Harvey A. Silberman, in the Los Angeles Superior Court. As an extern, I work closely with Judge Silberman by observing hearings, preparing orders after hearing, and reviewing judgements. I was able to take advantage of this opportunity through the Judicial Placement Program, where I worked with Professor Delfino at every stage of the process, from my applications to receiving course credit for my work. Finally, I have chosen to concentrate in Civil Litigation and Advocacy, because of my passion for family law and litigation. Throughout my time at Loyola, I will be taking classes catered to strengthening litigation skills, from Trial Advocacy, Remedies, to even more experiential opportunities through the Civil Litigation Practicum. In this year-long course, we simulate the litigation process for a civil matter from pleadings to pre-trial. This year, our simulated civil matter is a wrongful death claim. I am grateful that Loyola has so many experiential opportunities to choose from, where I have not had to compromise my legal education for my desire for practical experience!

1L Elective

Choosing an elective was very exciting because it presented an opportunity to choose a class outside my fixed 1L schedule. The options were all really amazing and touched on a lot of the topics law students are interested in such as criminal law, international law, innovation law, tax law, and administrative law. I have a very strong interest in foreign policy and government affairs, so I selected international law and administrative law as my top two choices. 

During the selection process, I spoke to my 2L friends who gave me great advice on professors they liked and how the classes were organized. Who would be teaching the class ultimately played a big role in the courses I selected, and I was very fortunate to have so many experts in the legal field to choose from. International law has been a fantastic experience for me so far and has quickly become one of my favorite classes. Professor Glazier said the class would be “ripped from the headlines,” and the class has been an incredible resource for learning about the important issues our world is facing today. Today in particular, professor Glazier pivoted from our usual course schedule to a special class on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was a very engaging class and provided a fascinating look into the international legality behind the events that have transpired in recent days.

My advice to any future 1Ls would be to do some research on the professors teaching the elective courses to decide if their style would be a good fit for you and to choose a class based on your interests. They are definitely some of the more “fun” first year classes, and are sure to be a great experience no matter which path you go down.

1L Elective

Law school can feel like a bubble and within that bubble there is comparison and hardship.  I went through the latter in my first semester. Law school is a huge learning curve for everyone and in all honesty, my first semester grades were disappointing because I knew that they did not represent how well I know I can do.  I ended up in Privacy Torts and I was truly mortified. I thought this would alienate me from the rest of my peers.  But when I showed up on the first day of class, I saw so many familiar faces that it felt like any other class I have taken at Loyola.  I actually LOVE my elective course. I am very interested in going into entertainment law and privacy fits into this world so well.  Learning about privacy rights, exposure, and diving into the world of public figures has kept me on my toes and leaves me more and more interested in entertainment and media law. 

All of this to say that Loyola offers a wide variety of electives.  Everyone ends up in something different and it is really nice to be able to explore a topic outside of the fundamental legal courses.  Some of my friends are taking immigration law or international law and everyone seems to enjoy their courses.  I think being able to take an elective in your first year helps you view your career in the long run which I am truly grateful for. 

1L Elective

The 1L elective that I am taking this semester is Law and Process: Privacy Torts. I didn’t do so well on my exams last semester, so I was placed in that class for my 1L elective. LLS has an academic success program to help students with tips and skills for studying, outlining, and test taking. Students who have a GPA lower than 2.85 after their first semester will be placed in the Law and Process: Privacy Torts class. 

The privacy torts class expands on the four privacy torts that were briefly covered in our Torts class: (1) Intrusion Upon Seclusion, (2) Public Disclosure of Private Facts, (3) Appropriation of Name or Likeness, and (4) False Light. So far, my class has covered Intrusion Upon Seclusion and is finishing up with Public Disclosure of Private Facts. The material that I’m learning right now is very applicable to our lives currently, especially when privacy and media coverage appear to be very controversial topics. This class has gotten me to think critically about how privacy and the media impact our lives… Do we really have privacy when all of us are carrying a device in our pockets that is capable of audio and video recording? What are the limits to what a newspaper or media company can rightfully publish that does not invade a person’s private information? 

Besides learning about privacy and the media and reading the casebook, I am also reading a book for class titled Mastering the Law School Exam. It’s a comprehensive guide that has helped me adjust the way I tackle exams like how to analyze a hypothetical, how to model my answer, and how to improve on multiple choice questions. 

The concepts we cover in class have also interested me into looking into the legal parameters of journalism and how the law would intersect with journalism. With so many interesting concepts and classes that I have been taking in law school, it’s so hard to imagine one day having to choose a field of law to pursue and practice in.

I Love Loyola

Growing up, I was never the type of person who loved school. Even in college, I enjoyed learning, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I loved school. That has changed since I got to Loyola. I not only love what I’m learning, but I love the community and ideals of Loyola as well. 

The thing I love most about Loyola is our dedication to public service. The amount of public interest organizations and the pro bono graduation requirement are just some of the ways Loyola shows its dedication to public service, and there are plenty more. Advocacy and serving our community are huge parts of being a Loyola student, and as someone who wants to go into public interest law, I love being a part of a community who takes public service as seriously as I do. 

I also love the Loyola community. At Loyola, everyone is encouraging, supportive, and more than willing to help one another. We have multiple mentorship opportunities, social gatherings (with COVID protocols in mind, of course), and other opportunities to support one another. Organizations will send out encouraging emails during finals or midterm time, set up coffee bars for student’s caffeine needs, and send out advice for students to prioritize our mental health during the chaos that is law school. Even the faculty and professors do everything they can to help and encourage students. 

Before coming to Loyola, I never imagined I would be able to say I actually loved school, but I am so happy that I do. Law school is hard, and loving the school you’re at can do so much in making your experience enjoyable even through the hard times. I’m so glad I found a school I love at Loyola and hope to fall more in love in the next two years. 

Love Is In the Air

Law school attracts lovers & fighters alike, but no matter what end of the spectrum you lean towards, there’s so much to love at Loyola. I, like most people at Loyola, will tell you that the community is the thing they love most about this law school, but that’s not the only thing that I love. So, without further ado, here is a short list of things I love about Loyola Law School.

1. The Community: I could probably write a whole post about how much the community as Loyola has, in many ways, made my experience. But to avoid getting too sentimental in my last semester, I’ll distill it. You may have heard that law is a reading & writing profession, which is true, but it is also a profession of people. The work you do in law school is long, stressful, and arduous; and most people outside of law school can’t understand the experience the way other students can. Having friends to commiserate with, faculty to support your learning process, and a career center to ease your transition from student to attorney, makes this process much more enjoyable.

2. Sonia’s Café: So even though Loyola is not on a large campus attached to an undergraduate college where a big food court probably exists, Sonia’s café is always something I point out as one of my favorite spots on campus when I’m giving campus tours. The library may be the brain of the campus but Sonia’s is truly the heart and soul. There’s rarely an hour of the day that you can’t find someone in Sonia’s getting a coffee, grabbing a quick bite to eat, or meeting up with friends. And there’s a rotating menu which means that I can pick up lunch on campus almost every day and not get bored.

3. Parking: Now, this one may seem humorous, but for anyone who has spent time in LA before, you’ll know that parking is a huge blessing when you can find it. The easiest way to get me to not go somewhere in LA is to not have a good parking situation.  Luckily, the law school is one place I never have to worry about finding parking. Even though Loyola has a fairly large student body, I’ve never had a problem finding parking on campus. I attribute most of my parking success to the fact that there are two hour-long breaks (12-1pm and 5-6pm) between classes where a lot of students will leave and others will come in, so there’s always a good cycle of parking spots available throughout the day.

4. Variety of Classes: While 1L classes are fairly ubiquitous across the board, Loyola offers so many different classes for 2L’s and 3L’s that you can explore any interest you have. Between clinics, classes, and experiential units, there’s something for everyone. I’ve taken classes that range from entertainment law, to family law, to business law – sometimes all in one semester. I love that I get to explore different areas of law from the comfort of a classroom so that I can make more informed decisions about where I want to end up after graduation.

If you get a chance to take a tour, talk to a current student, or chat with an alumnus, I definitely recommend you do so you can experience first-hand all the wonderful things this school has to offer! 

Building Relationships with Professors

Hello again, Jury of Peers! Today we are talking about professors and let me say, the people at Loyola are my favorite part of law school, professors included. 

Law professors are an integral part of the law school experience, not only because they teach you how the law works but also because they provide you with a valuable resource: connection. And like most things in law school this is a three-prong analysis. 

The first type of connection professors provide is to the law itself. Loyola professors are at the top of their fields which means they’re not only leading scholars in their field but they’ve also experienced the way their area of law works in numerous real-life situations. Students at Loyola are so curious-minded and our professors encourage us to come to them and parse out our questions, no matter how detailed. Professors want to share their experience with you and often times have great stories to help put abstract legal concepts in a context that is more manageable. 

The second type of connection that professors provide is to the students themselves. Law school isn’t like undergrad where the professors teach many different classes and see hundreds of different faces every semester. Law school (and the legal profession) is much more insulated, so the professors really make an effort to learn things about their students and forge meaningful connections with them. Most every professor I’ve had since 1L has remembered my name when I’ve seen them on campus after the class was over which is a really great feeling. 

The third type of connection that professors provide is, well, connections. Because many of our professors have been teaching for multiple years and had amazing careers before becoming professors, they know a lot of people in the legal community and can actually help students get jobs, internships, and informational interviews. Most professors are also very willing to write letters of recommendation and reach out to their colleagues to help students make connections to other people in the legal field. Professors will also put you in contact with alumni that are practicing in an area that you’re interested in so you can get the perspective of a current working attorney. 

Overall, the professors at Loyola really mean it when they say they want to help you succeed. Many will even give you their personal phone numbers so you can text them with questions. I’m very grateful that the faculty at LLS really cares about their students because it makes the experience of law school feel less like an information tornado and more like a transformational enlightenment. I can feel how their influence has changed the way I look at and think about the world in almost everything I do. If you ever get a chance to meet a Loyola professor, absolutely take the opportunity to talk to them about their experiences and ask them questions!

I Love Loyola

One of the best things about Loyola is that I have never felt like a faceless number to better statistics. From admissions to being a student, I feel like the administration truly cares about me as a person – I had a name, a face, a story that goes well beyond my LSAT score and GPA. Loyola cares more about the human aspect of their students than most. 

This experience is part of the reason I was so excited to come to Loyola! 

And now that I’m a student, I can tell my professors feel the same way. Instead of focusing on making sure we are all getting the best grades possible and be the best law students possible, my professors want to ensure that we are all going to become the best attorneys possible. And while, yes, grades are important, it is far more important to my professors that we are learning the material to a degree that will equate to good practice when we get summer jobs and post-graduation. 

My friends feel the same way and it is a joy to get to experience together. While some of us were not as happy with our fall semester grades, that ultimately won’t matter. Because while we are working so hard in classes, we are ultimately not striving to become the best law students ever (Elle Woods might have that title). We are striving to become the best attorneys – to make the difference outside of law school. 

Loyola encourages this idea. Ultimately, they want their students – as people, not numbers – to engage with the material and learn it as best we can so we can leave law school knowing how to practice the law. 

Being a student is temporary (even though the semesters might feel oh-so long) – a short term stop on the path of where we’re all trying to go. But being an engaged active community member representing their community and practicing the law – that’s long term. 

I Love Loyola

Coming into law school, I felt very nervous and did not know what to expect. However, over the course of the school year, I have felt increasingly comfortable and welcomed. During the Fall semester, one of my friends mentioned that she felt a sense of community here at Loyola. I did understand what she meant but I did not feel I could relate at first. Now, I completely relate and it is one of my favorite things about being a Loyola student. I think a major reason why I have felt such a change is building connections with my peers and with the professors. I have also made an effort to meet with one of my mentors (a Loyola alumna) more often. My peers, mentors, professors, and others like Dean Craig have made me feel supported in so many ways. It is SO important to build connections and to have a support system. It is common sense that if we do not create connections, we will be disconnected and feel disconnected, but I guess it took me some time to discover this idea as it applies here in law school. In short, what I love the most about being at Loyola is the sense of community and the amazing people I have had the privilege of befriending. If you are out there wondering if law school is meant for you, I am telling you that it is. If you are wondering if Loyola is the right fit for you, I am reassuring you that it is. Not only are the people, courses, staff, and experiences great . . . but we also have Starbucks . . . I am a coffee addict like most of us here, so I must admit coffee might be my truest love on campus. 

I Love Loyola

In just a few weeks, I will officially be halfway through my final semester of law school. Knowing that my time at Loyola is coming to an end has me feeling somewhat conflicted. On the one hand, there’s a lot to be excited about: graduation (I’m especially looking forward to donning the gown and throwing my cap in the air à la Elle Woods), reuniting with friends and family I haven’t seen in almost a year, and generally just moving into the next phase of my life. On the other hand, I’m sad to leave this chapter behind, because there’s so much that I love about Loyola, and I already know I’ll miss it all so much come graduation.

I’ll miss the campus itself, which is just the right size: large enough not to be boring, but small enough to feel cozy. In fact, it didn’t take long for the campus to be full of familiar faces – nowadays, I will almost always bump into at least one person I know while heading to my next class. If we’re headed in the same direction, we’ll usually complain about how stressed we are, then comment on how (ridiculously) great the weather is. Sure, we sound like broken records, but it’s nice to know we’re all in the same boat (aka stressed and tired).

I’ll miss the professors at Loyola, who have remained consistently helpful and accommodating throughout my time at Loyola. Professors will regularly send emails extending an invitation to attend office hours, leaving the impression that they genuinely want you to succeed. This is especially the case right before exams: emails are answered within 24 hours despite the professors being very busy themselves, extra office hours and Q&A sessions are scheduled, and student feedback is taken into consideration on how the review sessions should be held to be most effective and conductive to our studying.

There is so much I love and will miss about Loyola, and I could probably spend another two pages monologuing about this topic, so I’ll end this (already overly long) blog post with the one thing I’ll miss most, which is the friends that I have made in LA. Moving far from home to attend Loyola, I’ll admit that I was quite nervous in the beginning: I was worried that I’d be homesick and lonely, stuck in a different continent without my friends and family. However, those worries dissipated within my first month of being here. I have made the most wonderful group of friends here, and they’ve made this new city feel like home.

In short, while I look forward to what the future will bring, I have loved every minute of attending Loyola (even exam period!). I wish that time would move slower so I can linger on this chapter for just a bit longer. 

I Love Loyola

This February, the season of love, I encourage all of us to look at the relationships in our lives and celebrate them, whether they are from family, friends, or significant others. Last weekend, as I was volunteering for an LMU Loyola Law School Admissions Event, I was really reminded of why I love Loyola. Getting the opportunity as an Admissions Ambassador to connect with prospective students, from the evening to the day program alike, was a great reminder of the many things that I love about Loyola. One of the things I found that I was always telling students about was the relationships that I have formed during my time here. I have had the honor to experience great mentorship, from fellow students and alumni alike. Especially in my 1L year, I feel that the faculty and my professors were really inviting and willing to help through the challenges that is the 1L year. As I was speaking to prospective students, I was happy to share about all of the different affinity groups and clinical opportunities that we have on campus. It reminded me that one of the things I really love about Loyola is the fact that no matter what students were interested in, I was comfortable letting them know there are opportunities at Loyola waiting for them. I really am grateful to have this opportunity, and this Valentine's Day season, I encourage you all to celebrate the love you have for the things in your life, whether it is inside or outside the courtroom or the classroom!

I Love Loyola

Law school is a major source of stress in my life, however, there are certain aspects of it that I absolutely love. First and foremost, I love the sense of community and friendships it has given me at this stage of my life. Loyola has been everything I hoped it to be in terms of a supportive and collegial environment. I have made lots of like-minded friends and look forward to spending time with them at school, and in my free time. As a recent college graduate, one of my biggest concerns about leaving undergrad was losing the sense of community I had established. Entering adulthood seemed like I would have less free time, and less opportunities to hang out with people. I consider myself to be a very social person, and I hoped law school would provide me with a similar community, despite it being a more professional setting than undergrad with people at different points in their life. Fortunately, everyone has been great, and I can tell I’ve already established many long-term friendships. 

Aside from the amazing connections I’ve made, I also love my classes. Each class in some way pertains to something I am deeply passionate about and getting to experience that every day has been a fantastic experience so far. Law school has provided me the focused learning experience that I hoped for, and I am looking forward to continuing with increasingly specialized classes in years two and three. What strikes me as unique about Loyola is how much the students are encouraged to discover and pursue the endeavors they are passionate about. Superficial priorities such as chasing prestige or certain salaries are not emphasized (although the opportunities are certainly there for those interested.) I believe this has produced a very happy and comfortable learning environment and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.

One of a Kind Faculty

I have mentioned this in past blog posts before but what I truly love about Loyola is the faculty.  The professors at Loyola leave a positive impact on every single class I am a part of.  One of my biggest fears about coming to law school was having to come across professors that were intimidating and unhelpful to students. You always hear horror stories about law professors putting students on the spot and making them uncomfortable. However, I truly never felt this at Loyola.  Loyola’s professors are kind and approachable and every single one I have had has helped me tremendously.  You can really tell that they care about not only the academic successes of their students but also their wellbeing.  I got COVID in the beginning of Spring semester and all my professors reached out to me to make sure that I was doing okay.  I was so grateful for them during this time.  I think the faculty at Loyola really makes the student experience unlike any other law school.  I don’t think Loyola would feel like “home” if it weren’t for the incredible faculty. 

I have been reflecting on this for a few weeks now and talking to my friends about our Loyola experience. While we all had different experiences regarding law school, we all can agree on one thing, if it weren’t for the incredible faculty, Loyola would not be the same.  I really feel that the faculty has made me love Loyola more than I originally thought I would. 

I Love Loyola

Hope everyone enjoyed my little acrostic poem. The last time I created one was probably in elementary school. I remember having to create an acrostic poem using the letters of your name. Whew, good thing I have a short name.  

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up and this blog’s theme is LOVE, I thought it would be a fun brainteaser to create an acrostic poem using the L-O-V-E to describe Loyola Law School in 4 words.

L: Location 

I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of people at LLS and make new friends. I know that a lot of us are Southern California natives, but there’s also many other students that are from different parts of the U.S. and even the world! When I ask people why they chose to come to LLS, location is something that is almost always mentioned. Most people want to move to LA, start their career here, and/or are interested in entertainment law, since LA/Hollywood is also known as “The Entertainment Capital of the World.” 

For me, LLS is not too far away from my home either. I was born in Southern California and lived in LA county my whole life, went to UCLA for undergrad, and I wished to stay in the LA area post-grad as well. When I first applied to LLS, I didn’t know that LLS was separate from LMU’s campus. It’s actually pretty nice because I feel like it creates a tight knit community on campus that makes me focused on studying law.

Here’s a tip I learned from taking a campus tour last year: If you want a nice view of LA and a scenic photo, go to the top floor of the parking lot. The view is awesome up there. Here’s a photo I took:

O: Openness 

LLS may seem like a small campus physically, but I feel very “welcomed here with open arms.” Everyone who I’ve met so far: classmates, peers, 2L’s and 3L’s are all very friendly.  The 2L’s and 3L’s that I’ve met are really open to answering my questions and giving advice about classes and summer opportunities.  My professors and counselors are all very kind and open to meeting with students to answer any questions that we may have. Everyone on campus creates a very inviting environment that makes me feel at ease and comfortable.

V: Variety 

LLS is very diverse. I’ve been able to meet people from all different walks of life and from different backgrounds. LLS also has a variety of clubs for us to choose from. I remember when it was club day on campus last fall, I had the opportunity to walk around and see all the different clubs on campus.  It was pretty nice to see that there were so many clubs that represented many different fields of law, and I was able to hear from 2L and 3L’s about their club experiences. I’ve joined a few clubs on campus, and I’m most active in the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) and Intellectual Property & Cybersecurity Law Society (IPCLS) since I’m a 1L rep for those clubs. 

LLS and the clubs on campus also provide a variety of events and opportunities. I’ve attended a few events hosted by different clubs in person and over zoom to learn more about the programs offered by LLS and hear from guest speakers about their law careers.

E: Educational 

So far, I’ve had a very enriching educational experience at LLS. We’ve all heard those myths or seen from Legally Blonde that law professors are scary, intimidating, and breathe down your neck. I haven’t really experienced that and hopefully I won’t, but I don’t think I will. I’ve had passionate professors in all my classes who are really focused on making sure we learn and understand the concepts. I really like how my professors will crack some jokes while we are learning about different cases.

My law school education at LLS has really opened a lot of doors of opportunities for me. Learning about the different areas of law has been really fun and led me to explore my interests into potential law practice areas.

 

Those 4 words are some of the main things that I love about LLS. I hope to maintain a strong connection to the law school even after I graduate.