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.

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.

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!

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.

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.