Everyone told me that this semester would fly by and I didn’t believe them. Now, it’s almost April and it feels like I only blinked and we got here. After turning in my brief and taking the midterm, my days have somehow seemed shorter. But, this doesn’t mean the days are any less busy. I try to go to most informational lunch events, board applications for organizations were recently released, and clinic applications also just opened. On top of that, I am still searching for a 1L summer position that I feel would rejuvenate my ambition. My mornings are filled with readings and my evenings are filled with cover letters.

In this chaos, I try to remember how much I have grown over the last school year. In August, I was a completely different person than I am now. I have gone through a finals season and juggled life events with academic expectations. I use the healthy coping mechanisms I developed last semester very often these days. I try to start my mornings with yoga before I crack open a book and I try to end the day coloring or reading a mindless fiction book to turn off my brain for the night. The beach has remained a constant in my mindfulness routine. Being in nature whenever I get the chance has done wonders for my stress levels.

I hope to continue with my holistic approach to academics for the rest of my law school journey, even as the challenges persist.

Each school day, I try to go to a lunch event happening on campus. In doing this, I have been able to learn about different areas of law and what the day-to-day for various lawyers looks like. As a first generation law student, these events have been incredibly helpful with understanding how the legal profession operates. I had a vague idea of what kind of law I wanted to practice before coming to Loyola, but these events allow for personal perspectives to influence my choices. These events have proven to be more helpful than just a general Internet search about the topic.

I attended an event called “Defending the Family: Child Welfare and Why Public Defense Must Evolve” hosted by the Criminal Law Society. Along with the delicious tacos provided, the information that I learned was immensely valuable. I started to tear up when one of the speakers recalled the pain of seeing families ripped apart in court. Getting insight from lawyers who experience this tragedy often and are actively working to better the system has been one of the most impactful parts of my 1L year. I had no interest in family law before law school. I’m not even sure I knew what family law was a year ago. But now, I know much more than I would have thought possible about one topic from just one hour at lunch.

One of my favorite parts about law school is having the opportunity to push my brain in ways I would have never tried to had I not continued my academic career. Obviously attending classes, doing the readings, and taking exams has pushed me academically, but also attending these lunchtime events and gaining valuable insight from practicing lawyers about their various practice areas has played a big part in my learning experience as well. Taking advantage of these lunchtime and after class events has been rewarding and insightful.

I was fortunate enough to be placed into my number one choice of elective: Critical Race Theory (CRT). 

It became apparent to me last semester that who your professor is really impacts your law school class experience. Professor Mendoza teaches CRT. She has an impressive background and stellar reviews from her Criminal Law class students. This impacted my choice significantly. She makes each class a safe space for speaking both about the readings and about personal experiences. She puts an emphasis on lived experiences as a way to connect and exchange ideas in a digestible manner. Some of her Criminal Law students from last semester even followed her to CRT this semester. 

I also wanted to ensure that I understood and appreciated whichever subject I chose. Historically, the law has been looked at through a color-blind lens and CRT seeks to view law through a race-conscious lens. The subject is often misconstrued as a highly political topic because of the emphasis on race-consciousness. However, there isn’t a strict definition of CRT; each theorist has their own interpretation of the subject. The writers are diverse and the topics range remarkably. While it is still an academically rigorous course, it is also a relief from the rigidity of my core classes. In undergrad, I studied Political Science and focused more on political theory in my senior year. CRT readings feel similar to political theory readings; both are dense and full of complex ideas waiting to be unraveled and dissected. 

Choosing an elective was more about trying to understand where I fit in legal academics rather than making a career-motivated move. Because of my background in Political Science, I knew that CRT would feel familiar and be a subject that I could enjoy as well as be challenged by. In our bi-weekly discussions, as ideas are shared and dreams are written out, I feel even better about my choice.

There is a huge emphasis on office hours at Loyola, especially for first year students. I could count on one hand how many times I attended office hours in undergrad. I was always doing something else outside of class that kept me from going and building relationships with my professors. Now, I go to office hours whenever I have any question or comment about the class. It is important in law school to develop these relationships with professors because the learning in law school is not just academic. Professors will teach you the content in class but can teach you about how to apply the concept to your profession in office hours. 

I attend legal writing office hours most frequently. As the weeks stretch on and the persuasive brief assignment fast approaches, I find it helpful to talk through the content of the assignment with my professor. Though she tries not to give me direct answers, just the act of talking through the issues that I’m having helps me collect the building blocks to establish a plan for resolving those issues. Learning to write memos and briefs has been like learning to speak another language. Each time I go to office hours, I find a flaw in my assignment. This could be discouraging, but taking these flaws, fixing them, and being able to recognize them later is the goal of the course. Shying away from office hours because you are scared that your question is silly or your assignment isn’t far along enough will only hurt you in the long run. 

At the end of the semester, office hours will be packed full. Last semester, my section had to sign up for slots for our criminal law office hours because there were frequently too many people to fit into the office all at once. Most of the time, depending on the professor, office hours can be a place to sit and listen to your classmates’ questions. When you’re so confused and don’t know where to start, listening to the questions of your classmates can be inspiring and helpful. Office hours are a place of understanding and comfort especially for people who learn better talking things out. 

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.

The best thing about Loyola is the emphasis on community. It is unique that the law school is a separate campus from the undergraduate school. This separation promotes interaction among law students and helps create a sense of togetherness. Finals season would have been much harder if I felt structurally disconnected from my peers as I might have on a predominantly undergraduate campus.

The organizations here also emphasize community through mentor programs. Most organizations have an option to pair up with a 2L or 3L to help you navigate through the year and acclimate to the law school climate. These guidance programs are important for perspective especially for someone like me who is a first generation law school student and new to California living. 

In the first year, Loyola separates the students into four sections: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Being in one of the afternoon sections has been a struggle as a morning person, but the people make the later classes exciting to be in. As the months go on, I find myself sad thinking about when my section will no longer be my section. Having a shared schedule with my peers has created bonds I hope to carry with me after graduation. I feel so lucky to have found people I can both confide in and study effectively with. 

It would be inauthentic to not mention the impact of the curve when discussing the social climate. I will not attempt to fumble through an explanation of how it works, but I will describe the feelings that crept in after the realities of the grading system were realized. There was a noticeable chill coming into the second semester that wasn’t there before. Before, it was almost like a fog had set in and we were all holding hands to get through it together, but now, some people have made it through and let go while others are still trying to find a way. This is the unfortunate reality of most law schools across the country. The curve grading system creates an inherently competitive environment that may be uncomfortable and which negatively impacts self worth and trust in the fairness of the system. So, while community is emphasized especially in your 1L first semester here at Loyola, it is important to know that the change after grades are announced will be startling especially if, as a first generation student, no one has told you about it or prepared you for it.

This semester we got a tiny taste of the un-sectioned life after 1L with our elective classes. Every 1L student had the opportunity to rank their top three electives, so all of the sections were mixed into the classes based on those rankings. It’s been nice to talk to others in different sections and hear their perspectives on classes we all took with different professors. I don’t imagine the chilling impact of the curve will go away completely, but I do believe when we are able to take classes outside of a set section, we won’t need to wear as heavy of a coat when the grades come out.

For weeks I studied, memorized, re-learned, and hoped for the best. In between the hours of studying, I would walk around my neighborhood for an hour to get much needed fresh air and sunshine. I was more appreciative than ever of an unseasonably warm December in SoCal. 

It was hard not to feel overwhelmed when there were cases and rules to memorize and so little time to do it. I tried to focus on each day as it came instead of worrying about all of the inevitable future exams at once. During music class in elementary school, I was taught a song that goes:

“little by little, inch by inch,

by the yard it’s hard, 

by the inch it’s a cinch, 

never stare up the stairs, 

just step up the steps, 

little by little, inch by inch” written by Ron Hamilton. I recited these lyrics often as I went through large stack after large stack of flashcards trying to make the information stick. 

The day after my last exam, my cat and I boarded a plane to Virginia. Immediately upon landing in my home state, I felt that I could finally relax. I saw friends and family, made tiramisu for the first time, and walked my family dog every morning. 

For me, this break was about rediscovering the self care rituals I left behind during finals, but that kept me from burning out during the semester. 

Before finals, I fell asleep reading a book every night because I read somewhere that it’s better for your brain than scrolling or TV. During finals, this ritual faded because reading felt more like a chore than a relaxing endeavor. After finals, I made reading a priority again. Over break, I finished five books. My favorite of those books is Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I started it on the plane ride to Virginia, and it was so good that I was sad to find myself at the end a couple of days later. 

Going home was the reset that I needed to prepare for the second semester and internship application season.

When I would tell people I was going to law school in the fall, I got many comments about how I won’t have time to do anything outside of school, how the library would be my new home, and how I would begin to neglect my hobbies.

Moving to California from Virginia came with its own set of challenges. I had to start completely over. I had no friends, no family, and no obligations outside of law school. Being the glass half full girl that I am (a skill you should learn to embody before going to law school), I took this as an opportunity. While some of my classmates had obligatory family dinners or old friends’ birthday parties, I never had anything I absolutely had to do outside of schoolwork. This allowed for me to nourish my wellness in ways that I may not have if I went to school closer to home.

I joined a band, went to the beach frequently, and baked a batch of cookies almost weekly. It is possible to do all of these things while also getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night and three meals per day.

That you won’t have time outside of law school is a total myth if you play your cards right. It is possible to enjoy yourself and to nourish your soul even with over 100 pages of reading a night. Sometimes reading is a part of the nourishment!

Time management is the key to success here, not just for academics but also for wellness. My planner is detailed and extensive. I have an hour-by-hour play-by-play of what I’ll be doing always. Even my commutes are written out. I sit down every Sunday and plan my week. It may sound tedious, but it’s the best way to make sure all your boxes are checked before you head to the beach to enjoy a sunny day (even if you have to bring the Contracts flashcards with you).

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.