Noah Niksefat is a first-year student at Loyola Law School who aims to apply his business background toward a purposeful legal career.
Something Loyola Law School does particularly well is creating opportunities to learn about the legal profession. Through events from the Career Development Office (CDO) and student organizations, there are many chances to hear from attorneys, judges, and alumni about different career paths.
The CDO regularly organizes lunch panels and informational events that expose students to different practice areas. I am actually attending a bankruptcy law event this week. Because they are usually scheduled during the day, they are easy to attend between classes, and beyond the free lunch, they offer the chance to hear from experienced professionals. These events provide practical insight into how different fields of law operate.
I attended Big Law Preview Night earlier in the year, which introduced large law firm practice and the range of work those firms handle. Hearing attorneys discuss emerging areas of law, including issues related to cryptocurrency, stood out to me because I’m interested in how law interacts with emerging fields and new businesses.
At an event hosted by the Loyola Law School Jewish Law Students Association, several judges spoke with students about their careers and their expectations of attorneys appearing before them. They shared practical advice about credibility, preparation, and professionalism, offering a perspective that comes from seeing lawyers from the bench. The judges also encouraged students to reach out, visit court, and observe proceedings, which helped make the path from law school to the courtroom feel more concrete.
I then participated in Loyola’s on-campus interview process (OCI), which allowed me to connect with law firms and explore job opportunities. I actually have another interview scheduled through OCI this week, which I’m very grateful for and excited about. Speaking with attorneys about their practices and the work their firms handle made the process feel much more tangible. OCI is a valuable opportunity to build professional relationships while getting a clearer sense of where my interests might fit within the legal realm.
Experiences like these make it clear that Loyola is committed to helping students explore different areas of practice and begin building the professional relationships that will shape their careers.
TOPICS: 1L, Getting A Job, Networking, Student Organizations