Graduation. I wish I could say it was an easy word; a manageable word. But personally, I’m struggling with it more than I thought I would. One part of me is excited.

That part of me is proud that I made it through law school; that I made it through law school in the strangest of times. Glad for the chance to have met some of the smartest people I know and make some new friends. Thankful for the opportunity to even go to law school. Eager to see what life holds for me outside academia. Thrilled to not have homework anymore.

The other part of me is mourning.

Grieving the friendships, experiences, and little moments that I lost out on due to the pandemic. Yearning for the spontaneous lunch dates and “hellos” on campus that won’t happen anymore. Devastated the free lunches are running out. No one ever deluded me with the idea that law school would be easy, but, man, no one ever told me it was going to be this hard.

And what’s worse, no one told me that the hardest part of law school is leaving. I’ve spent 23 years of my life in school and now there is no more school. Graduation feels somewhat like a joyous thrust into the shark infested waters of Bar study then practice. Loyola is safe and kind. Real life is not as generous. So, while I’m met with pride for my accomplishments, I’m also met with doubt.

My safety nets are fraying away with each step I take toward the moment they announce my name from the podium. I have to start making choices – in some cases, I’ve already had to – that will chart the course of my life.

There is no more “path” to follow. Like many of my classmates, I do not have a post-bar position lined up yet but perhaps that just means there is an uncharted adventure for me to seek beyond the parking structure at 919 Albany.

For those of you who followed along with me this year, or any past years, I hope you got to see that law school can be joyous as well as arduous. I hope you got to see that if I can do it, so can you. I came to law school with no plans, no experience, and no lawyers in my family; just the delusional belief I could handle it. And it wasn’t always graceful but perfection doesn’t leave much room for character growth.

Law school in itself was a new beginning after a monumental chapter of my life. So, though I’m not a fan of change, law school has taught me how to handle it. I strangely thought this day would never come, but I won’t “see you in the next one.”

 

Hello again, Jury of Peers!

There are 2 kinds of people in law school: people like one of my friends who love to network, and people like me who find networking extremely daunting. It’s not that I don’t like to meet new people and make new friends in the industry, it’s just that I’m shy. I know, it’s a word not often associated with lawyer-types, but we exist! So, if you’re a shy person who wants to go to law school let me hand down a few nuggets of wisdom about how to build a network when you’re shy (or just bad at networking).

Tip 1: Phone a Friend

A great way to network without feeling so awkward is to go to events with a friend. Whether or not they love to network, going to events with a friend gives me a social respite where I can relax for the moments in between actively networking.

Tip 2: Home-Field Advantage

Loyola actually hosts quite a few networking events on campus, both mixers and speaking events. Sometimes just being in a familiar environment can ease the stress of networking, so going to events on campus can make networking more bearable.

Tip 3: Have a Job to Do

This tip is not for everyone, but personally, I find networking to be easier when there is a common goal or an external reason why you are connecting with new people. For example, I was doing an informational interview with an attorney who told me he did most of his networking in law school by being on the board of a club and planning speaking events. Fast forward to my 2L year, I ran for speaker chair on DSBA (student gov’t) so that I had an external reason to reach out to attorneys I thought were really cool. Asking them to come speak to campus is a great way to bring attorneys to the home-field (see: tip 2) and create a common goal you both are working towards: a successful speaking event.

To be frank, my in-person networking skills have atrophied during the Zoom Era but that’s not to say there aren’t advantages to zoom networking too. One major advantage is that you get to be in your own environment which can be soothing. Another is that the interactions tend to be more intentional since most people can’t stumble into Zoom rooms the way you can stumble into an in-person event.

My favorite event that I have been to was actually on Zoom my 2L year: Women in Big Law. It was a small group of women talking about the troubles and the triumphs of being a woman in law. It felt very intimate even though we were all dispersed throughout the country. And it was a great way to meet lawyers that normally would be geographically hard to reach.

Any way you want to network is good, especially when you’re just starting out. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because 9 times out of 10, it will be a positive experience.

See you in the next one (for my very last post ever!),

 

Hello again, Jury of Peers! Today we are talking experiential learning and all the benefits. I’m not going to lie, I was very scared to take experiential classes because I thought I wasn’t ready and was going to look stupid compared to everyone else, but that was not the case. I really enjoyed my experiential learning and I encourage you to do as much of it as you can while in law school.

I really wanted to do a clinic but, unfortunately, the stars never aligned. However, I have taken many experiential classes that I want to share with you.

First things first: Trial Advocacy. I truly think this is a class everyone should take, whether you’re interested in going to trial or not. It gives so much context to so many of the classes you take like evidence, criminal procedure, and legal writing. It also helped me test out being a trial lawyer to see if it was for me. I got to work in a group to try to convict a drunk driver which was a really eye-opening experience. The class itself doesn’t have a lot of reading so it’s a great elective to add in if you have a particularly heavy reading load as well.

The second class I took that I also believe everyone should take is Motion Picture Contract Drafting. I know, I know, it might sound boring but I actually had a really fun time in the class. We got fake deal memos every week and basically did scavenger hunts through template contracts to make a contract that fit the deal memo. To be honest, contracts was not my favorite 1L class, but after taking this class and getting context, I definitely changed my tune.

The third class I took was intro to negotiations. The thing I loved most about this class was my partners in our midterm and final negotiation. Most of law school feels like you’re fighting by yourself, so having a teammate felt really good. Getting to call to debrief after and re-live the highlights was amazing. I feel like I didn’t get a ton more out of this class than negotiation classes I took for my business major, which is why I wouldn’t recommend everyone take it like the previous two, but if you’re interested, it definitely gives you practice in legal negotiations.

The last experiential class I took is not marketed as one but I consider it to be one: ethical lawyering. In that class we do a client counseling portion of the class where you meet with a client then write a memo about it. I personally think that being able to create rapport with clients is a huge part of the job so getting a few chances during that class to meet and discuss a case was a huge plus for me.

Hopefully I’ve allayed some of your fears (if you had any) about experiential learning at Loyola. Everyone is really kind and willing to help you if you struggle in these classes just like any of your other classes. There are so many ways to earn your experiential units that truly the only “wrong” way to do it is to not invest yourself in them.

Law school can feel like a bubble and within that bubble there is comparison and hardship.  I went through the latter in my first semester. Law school is a huge learning curve for everyone and in all honesty, my first semester grades were disappointing because I knew that they did not represent how well I know I can do.  I ended up in Privacy Torts and I was truly mortified. I thought this would alienate me from the rest of my peers.  But when I showed up on the first day of class, I saw so many familiar faces that it felt like any other class I have taken at Loyola.  I actually LOVE my elective course. I am very interested in going into entertainment law and privacy fits into this world so well.  Learning about privacy rights, exposure, and diving into the world of public figures has kept me on my toes and leaves me more and more interested in entertainment and media law.

All of this to say that Loyola offers a wide variety of electives.  Everyone ends up in something different and it is really nice to be able to explore a topic outside of the fundamental legal courses.  Some of my friends are taking immigration law or international law and everyone seems to enjoy their courses.  I think being able to take an elective in your first year helps you view your career in the long run which I am truly grateful for.

Law school attracts lovers & fighters alike, but no matter what end of the spectrum you lean towards, there’s so much to love at Loyola. I, like most people at Loyola, will tell you that the community is the thing they love most about this law school, but that’s not the only thing that I love. So, without further ado, here is a short list of things I love about Loyola Law School.

1. The Community: I could probably write a whole post about how much the community as Loyola has, in many ways, made my experience. But to avoid getting too sentimental in my last semester, I’ll distill it. You may have heard that law is a reading & writing profession, which is true, but it is also a profession of people. The work you do in law school is long, stressful, and arduous; and most people outside of law school can’t understand the experience the way other students can. Having friends to commiserate with, faculty to support your learning process, and a career center to ease your transition from student to attorney, makes this process much more enjoyable.

2. Sonia’s Café: So even though Loyola is not on a large campus attached to an undergraduate college where a big food court probably exists, Sonia’s café is always something I point out as one of my favorite spots on campus when I’m giving campus tours. The library may be the brain of the campus but Sonia’s is truly the heart and soul. There’s rarely an hour of the day that you can’t find someone in Sonia’s getting a coffee, grabbing a quick bite to eat, or meeting up with friends. And there’s a rotating menu which means that I can pick up lunch on campus almost every day and not get bored.

3. Parking: Now, this one may seem humorous, but for anyone who has spent time in LA before, you’ll know that parking is a huge blessing when you can find it. The easiest way to get me to not go somewhere in LA is to not have a good parking situation.  Luckily, the law school is one place I never have to worry about finding parking. Even though Loyola has a fairly large student body, I’ve never had a problem finding parking on campus. I attribute most of my parking success to the fact that there are two hour-long breaks (12-1pm and 5-6pm) between classes where a lot of students will leave and others will come in, so there’s always a good cycle of parking spots available throughout the day.

4. Variety of Classes: While 1L classes are fairly ubiquitous across the board, Loyola offers so many different classes for 2L’s and 3L’s that you can explore any interest you have. Between clinics, classes, and experiential units, there’s something for everyone. I’ve taken classes that range from entertainment law, to family law, to business law – sometimes all in one semester. I love that I get to explore different areas of law from the comfort of a classroom so that I can make more informed decisions about where I want to end up after graduation.

If you get a chance to take a tour, talk to a current student, or chat with an alumnus, I definitely recommend you do so you can experience first-hand all the wonderful things this school has to offer!

Hello Jury of Peers! My name is Kelsey and yes, I am in my official Loyola Law School Tour Guide polo shirt. I am your resident 3L blogger and I am super excited to share my law school experience with you! I’ve been blogging since my 1L year, so this little corner of the internet holds a special place in my heart.

 

I’m originally from Las Vegas, NV and lived there until college when I moved to Irvine to get my bachelor’s from UC Irvine. (zot! zot! zot!) I graduated in 2018 with a degree in Business Administration and Drama. After I graduated, I moved back home and worked remotely as a social media manager for a small acting studio in Santa Ana.

*Professional photo credits at the bottom

Outside of school, I’m a very creative person. I play guitar, ukulele, and some piano. I’ve also been singing since before I could talk – literally. In college, I found a love for improv comedy (think “Who’s Line Is It Anyway”) and ended up being the captain of my team my junior and senior year. I also love food – although I doubt I rise to the requisite level to be called a “foodie.” I love to try new sweets places (smoothies, boba, milkshakes, donut shops, etc.) and I’m constantly craving a spicy yellowtail cut roll.

I’m really passionate about bringing theatre soft skills into the practice of law since we do so much public speaking. I was able to bring that idea to life as part of my position on the Day Student Bar Association last year. DSBA is the law school’s student government and I have loved being a part of it 2L and again this year.

Besides DSBA, I’m a member of the Women’s Law Association and got to be a 1L mentor last year. I am also a student ambassador (hence the sweet tour guide polo). And last year, I was a staffer on the International and Comparative Law Review, as well as a high school mentor through LLS’s Young Lawyer’s Program.

Since I’ve talked so much about music and theater, it’s probably not a huge surprise that I’m interested in going into entertainment law. But thanks to some really great professors, my interest has been piqued in other areas of law too.

Even though I’m about as far away from law school applications as a law student can get, I’m excited to provide you (hopefully) some solace as you begin your law school journey and share some of the tips I’ve picked up throughout my time at Loyola!

See you in the next post,

Kelsey

*photo 2 taken by Pio Valenzuela (www.revelca.com)

Hello again, Jury of Peers! Today we are talking pro bono hours which is kind of perfect since I’m working on my pro bono hours right now!

LLS requires that all students complete 40 hours of pro bono work. Loyola has so many opportunities to complete pro bono hours from clinics to helping trial teams prepare for competition by being a witness. The way I am getting the majority of my hours is through Young Lawyers Program (YLP) which is a student run mock trial. Law students mentor high school students to help foster their interest in law as well as teach some basic legal skills.

My little YLP group is my mentee (who is a freshman in high school!) and a 1L who is starting his hours early. We are working on doing a direct examination of the primary defendant. Since I have the most law school experience as a 2L, most of my job is to explain principles in the simplest way I can. One thing I really feared when I learned we had a pro bono requirement was that I wasn’t going to be knowledgeable or prepared enough to actually do anything productive. But it really amazed me how much I have learned (and retained) in the last 3.5 semesters!

Pro bono hours give you a chance to exercise your knowledge. To make a cheesy analogy: pro bono is like going to the gym for your law brain, and your classes are your personal trainers. You know, the one who makes sure you stay in proper form. It’s actually really fun to get to use my knowledge outside of a class or an exam setting. And yes, I know that sounds nerdy, but if you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re nerdy too.

If I don’t complete all my hours this year, I would love to do clinic work to complete the rest. I am planning on doing a clinic anyway next year to fulfill my experiential learning requirement, but I also am genuinely looking forward to doing more work!

To finish off this post I’ll say this: it’s hard to explain pro bono until you do it. I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to foster someone’s interest in law (YLP) or help them with a legal problem (clinic). Those little moments of realization that you do remember what hearsay is AND can recall some of the exceptions. I know I’ve gotten a lot out of it, and I know you will too!

See you in the next one,

Kelsey