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.