Building my path, while advocating for others.
Hi everyone! My name is Lia Shirvanian, and I’m so excited to return as a writer for Jury of Peers. I’m now a second-year law student at Loyola Law School, and this year already feels completely different from my first.
During my 1L year, I was still figuring out what kind of lawyer I wanted to be. I explored different areas of law, from business to real estate, but my summer at Kabateck LLP, a civil litigation firm, helped me realize that this is where my passion truly lies. I loved being in an environment where I could see the real impact of advocacy, strategy, and client trust in action.
Now as a 2L, I feel more confident and grounded. I’m on the board of the Day Student Bar Association, Legal Education Access and Development (LEAD), and the Armenian Law Students Association. Through these roles, I’ve had the chance to help build community, organize events, and create opportunities for pre-law and current law students to connect and grow.
Outside of law school, I’m still the same person who loves baking, building Legos, and camping with friends and family. But I’ve also grown in ways I didn’t expect. I’ve learned how to balance chaos with calm, how to say yes to opportunities that challenge me, and how to say no when I need rest.
Some of the things on my bucket list this year are to attend my first jury trial from start to finish and visit Japan.
Law school changes you, but in the best way. It teaches you resilience, empathy, and patience. I’m grateful to keep sharing this journey with all of you and can’t wait to see where this year takes us.