Ramsey Cooper is a first-year student at Loyola Law School dedicated to centering community and humanity through her legal studies and career.
It’s 6am on a Sunday. I’m waking up to the dark morning and cold air. I throw on a pair of jeans and a light gray, coffee-stained crewneck then grab my bag and head out the door. I spend about eight hours pulling espresso, talking to customers, and wiping up spills (mostly my own). This is how I spent most weekends my senior year in undergrad. I am so grateful for that experience now. Being able to talk to so many people each weekend and getting to know coworkers with such different perspectives and life paths only grew my desire to pursue a legal career.
My name is Ramsey Cooper. I am a 1L day student from Chesapeake, Virginia. I attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. I graduated this past May with a BA in both philosophy and political science.
Growing up, my mom’s favorite movie was Legally Blonde. Watching Elle Woods be authentically herself despite being in a room full of beige clothes and drab personalities inspired me to commit to presenting myself with authenticity no matter what room I’m in. I was worried that in law school I would lose myself in the business casual of it all, but at Loyola, I’ve never been made to feel out of place.
Despite this sense of belonging, moving from Virginia to Los Angeles was a tough transition. The plane ride was about five hours long and it took another couple of hours to get to my apartment. I had a rental car trunk full of Ikea bags and an unhappy cat in the backseat. Because of the time difference, it was only midday when I landed. I couldn’t believe I had almost a full day ahead of me. For weeks, I fell asleep around 9:30pm because I had been so used to east coast time for so long that the adjustment seemed impossible.
One day, I decided to go to Malibu. This is where I fell in love with California. I drove down the PCH past Santa Monica and listened to my playlist full of summer songs with the windows rolled down. The weather was perfect and the water was sparkling. I’ll never forget parking on the side of the road and watching the waves hit the cliffside.