At Loyola, a large portion of students are from California, but not all of us are locals. I grew up in the suburbs of Connecticut, attending school with the same group of kids from kindergarten through graduation. For college, I chose the University of Washington in Seattle, which felt about as far from home as I could possibly go.

When it came time to apply to law school, I focused my search on the Northeast, where some of my family lives, as well as cities where I could truly envision building my life. With a strong interest in entertainment law, I knew that Los Angeles would offer the greatest opportunities to pursue that path. 

Although adjusting to a new city and state took time, Los Angeles may be the best place I’ve ever lived. My weekends are spent at the beach, my readings can be done outside year-round, and there is no shortage of neighborhoods to explore. Even if you don’t see your career lasting forever in California, Loyola’s alumni network extends far beyond the West Coast. I was able to connect with a Loyola alum practicing in Connecticut to discuss what my options might look like if I choose to move back closer to my family.

Moving to new cities for both undergrad and law school has been the greatest experience of my life. It challenges you, teaches you to trust yourself, and reminds you that you are capable of far more than you might expect.

One of the things that has made the biggest difference in my experience at Loyola Law School has been the faculty.  Law school can feel overwhelming at times, especially when you are trying to figure everything out as you go.  There is no single roadmap, and naturally, a lot of questions come up along the way.  What I did not expect was how willing professors would be to help me navigate those moments.

Every time I have reached out, whether during office hours or after class, my professors have made themselves available.  Not once have I been turned away.  That level of accessibility makes it easier to ask questions, seek guidance, and feel more confident in the process.

One professor who has had a particularly meaningful impact on my journey is Professor Farhat. Even in his first year teaching, he has been incredibly supportive.  He has taken the time to answer my questions, offer advice, and share insight not just about coursework, but about law school and the legal profession more broadly.  Having someone who is willing to invest that time and mentorship has made a lasting impression on me.

I have also experienced this support beyond the classroom.  My first introduction to faculty came during Summer Institute, where I met Professor Craig, Professor Yagura, Professor Tan, and Dean Winograd.  At the time, everything about law school felt new, and their guidance helped make that transition feel more manageable.  They shared practical advice about how to approach exams, stay organized, and adjust to the demands of law school.  What has meant the most, however, is that their support did not end after Summer Institute.  Throughout the year, they have remained approachable and willing to help.  

Professors at Loyola Law School truly understand that law school is a transition, and they meet students where they are.  Their willingness to guide us, encourage us, and share their experiences makes what can feel like an intimidating environment much more approachable.

Law school is still challenging, but knowing there are professors who genuinely want to see you succeed makes you feel like you belong here.

As a 1L who works outside of school, I made a deliberate effort to build relationships with my professors.

I regularly attended Professor Grossi’s office hours, partly because her passion for the law is contagious. She does not just teach doctrine; she brings it to life in a way that deepened my understanding of the material and reminded me why I came to law school.

Outside the classroom, my friend Michael and I worked with Professor Grossi to organize section gatherings after class. These gatherings gave students a chance to connect with her in a more conversational setting. I found The Liberties, an LLS alum-owned bar fittingly named for law students, and we hosted our gatherings there.

In class, my interactions with other professors have been more structured, but still impactful. Professor Selmi once remarked that the best attorneys are those who can put themselves in the shoes of the people they are dealing with. That observation resonated with me. He was not simply referring to empathy in the abstract, but to developing an awareness of the facts and circumstances shaping a person’s situation. When I mentioned that I was navigating a legal matter outside of school, he offered to reach out to someone on my behalf. That willingness to step in demonstrated that his investment in students extends beyond the classroom.

Overall, I find the faculty accessible and invested. Some are expressive and relational; others are direct and highly structured. Both approaches reflect a seriousness about teaching and a respect for students’ growth. What I appreciate most is that Loyola’s professors are not simply preparing us to pass the bar or perform well on their exams. They are preparing us to practice. They train us to think like advocates, to exercise sound judgment, and to use our knowledge of the law in the service of something larger than ourselves.

Last week, I was sitting outside and eating an apple with peanut butter. I had packed the peanut butter separately to slather onto the apple. Shortly after I opened the container of goodness, I felt a fuzzy thing brush my leg. I jumped and a squirrel ran out from beneath the table. I didn’t realize that it only came to me because of the smell of the peanut butter, but I left the table and the squirrel jumped up, knocked my container off of the table, and started eating my peanut butter with its paws inside the container. I was shocked. I had never heard of anything like this happening before. 

I love that sitting outside at Loyola in all seasons is such a common thing to do. Being from Virginia, 80 degree days in January are unheard of. Sitting outside in January and soaking in the sun between classes and lunch has been an experience that I will forever be grateful for. Going hunting for outlets near tables to avoid having to go into the library to charge my laptop has been a welcome break from the stress of summer job hunting, final writing assignment revisions, and midterm preparations. Despite the overly friendly creatures that join me, being outside has been wonderful through the stresses of the beginning of 1L second semester. 

Along with the weather, the architecture is another thing I love about Loyola. The bright yellow and electric blue accents make the campus feel alive and are aesthetically pleasing. Recently, the Art Law Society painted a wonderful, flowery mural near the campus cafe entrance. The architecture and the student creativity are just a small part of what makes being a student at Loyola great, along with the surprise encounters with nature.

In the month of love and friendship, I have been reflecting on what I genuinely love about Loyola Law School.

Last year when I was asked this question, my answer centered on the diversity of my cohort, the quiet late nights on campus, and the beauty of the Downtown skyline.  All of this still holds true.  But now, after spending a year and a half at Loyola, I have discovered even more to appreciate.  

What I love most about Loyola is the opportunity it creates for all students to be themselves.

If you had asked me during my senior year of undergraduate studies where I would be today, I honestly would not have known.  I was not a traditional student.  I transferred from community college to a university, worked different jobs all throughout my undergraduate years, started studying for the LSAT later than many of my peers, and often wondered whether I was already at a disadvantage before law school even began.

Yet, Loyola never made me feel like I did not belong, even as a first-generation student navigating the legal field on my own.

Through its evening program, supportive faculty, and collaborative student body, Loyola has created a space where students from all walks of life can thrive.  Many of us balance full-time jobs, family responsibilities, and coursework, yet we are met with understanding, flexibility, and encouragement from our Professors and faculty. 

Loyola has given me a strong support network, including mentors who are Loyola alumni, a position at a law firm, and professors and classmates who continually support and guide me throughout this journey.   

Here, your background is not viewed as a limitation, but it’s valued as part of what makes the community stronger.

 

Happy Valentine’s Month! In this month celebrating “love,” I’ve had a chance to reflect on what I “love” about Loyola and my time here so far. I came from a huge public university where resources were scarce, and time and space and class spots were always a battle. Coming from a school where class sizes of 500+ were typical, being able to have significant face-time with my professors and an overabundance of resources available to me has made me very appreciative of Loyola.

During the fall semester, when I was not able to attend office hours due to work or personal conflicts, I was able to make a separate appointment with my professors as needed. When I was not sure if my computer would be compatible with the exam software for my Contracts midterm, I was able to email someone and get an answer the same day. There is also an abundance of academic success resources available at Loyola Law School, including one-on-one appointments with “writing specialists” who will help coach you through legal writing and office hours with upper-year students who have been exactly where I was only a couple years ago.

What I love the most about Loyola, however, is that they understand that if you are in the hybrid evening program it means you are probably working full time or have other competing obligations. Therefore, resources are offered remotely, at off-hours, and with busy schedules in mind. There is a clear thoughtfulness and willingness to accommodate amongst the faculty and fellow students which helps add to my sense of community.

One thing that I heard a lot about prior to coming to law school was the importance of study groups, which I initially half dismissed and half scoffed at because when I was in undergrad (and even in high school) I absolutely HATED group work.

However, study groups have been indeed essential to ensuring I have been able to get through law school.

Before my Contracts midterm, one of my study group buddies (who commutes to school from Burbank) and I (I drive in from Irvine) had a three-hour long phone call where we went over our professor’s practice problems and talked through our analysis. Prior to my fall semester final exams, I hosted my friends over at my apartment a couple different times. We ordered pizza, went over practice problems, and talked through our outlines. I truly believe that these study sessions were the key to my success during exam season.

Law school exam questions (and therefore, law school overall) require different perspectives. You have to be able to attack questions from multiple angles and consider different arguments. For the evening program specifically, my study partners work for immigration advocacy groups, for huge entertainment groups, for tax and accountancy firms, etc. In other words, my friends not only bring their unique personal and cultural backgrounds but also have rich professional experience which elevates their thought process.

My study partners have helped me stay accountable by motivating me to get through more practice problems than I might have otherwise. They have talked me off the ledge when I started going down a rabbit hole when I was struggling through the “self-defense” aspect of intentional torts. Perhaps most importantly, law school is not an experience that you can get through alone, especially if you are simultaneously still working full-time. My friends I have met at Loyola have been an incredible balm for my mental health and general sanity. We vent to each other about law school stress, work-life balance, and they understand my current stressors like nobody else does. I think that’s why even though I didn’t really get the importance of study groups prior to starting law school, I’ve come to rely on my study group a lot to get through my time in law school.