I am a first generation law student, and I was really nervous to begin law school as a 1L.

This is where building connections with faculty at LLS really helped. I came to law school feeling really lost, but a lot of my professors were there to guide me along the way.

One of the things that makes LLS different from other law schools is the accessibility of faculty. Professors have scheduled office hours. Can’t make it? Don’t sweat it. Many professors provide their numbers/emails so that students can schedule appointments to meet with them or send a text for a quick question. (I am always surprised how quickly I receive a reply!)

I think the best place to get to know faculty is to join one of the on-campus clinics! The clinics are where students can gain hands on experience while working closely with LLS faculty. I participated in the Loyola Center for Conflict Resolution during my 2L year and the amount of feedback that I was able to get from faculty was amazing, truly a great experience.

When I was applying to law school, Loyola was my first choice. I am happy to say that the choice I made was one of the best decisions I ever made. I knew I wanted to pursue a law degree ever since I was a little girl. Loyola has made that dream possible.

There are so many things to love about Loyola that they would not fit in this post, but I will list my top 3.

First, the student body is incredibly collaborative. I know everyone says that law school is competitive and cut-throat, but at Loyola students really care about each other. This is not just true about students, but the faculty and staff really care about student success.

Second, law school gives students the opportunity to engage in clinics. Clinics provide hands-on experience to students where they are able to engage with real clients facing various legal issues. There are many to choose from at Loyola, from the Loyola Center for Conflict Resolution to the Project for the Innocent, you are sure to find something that interests you!

Third, once you have taken all the required bar courses, there are many electives that Loyola offers where students can explore different practice areas.

Overall, Loyola is a great place to be! From the year-round sunny skies of Southern California to the intellectually stimulating course work and life-long friendships that Loyola creates, it’s hard not to accept an offer from the school.

No matter your area of expertise or background, law school is a challenge. Study groups really do help with the challenges that come with law school. For me, working with different classmates throughout the year has been really beneficial. It has definitely helped with what felt impossible to understand in a classroom. 

During exam season, I usually go through practice problems and share outlines with my study groups. I think the best part about study groups is that they can provide moments of self-reflection. You may catch yourself unable to explain a concept to your friend and realize that a topic you thought you knew, you may actually have to go back and review. 

Although I do like study groups, I think it’s equally important to be able to sit down alone and study. During exam season, I love creating a good play list to listen to as I memorize and practice problem sets. 

I think we’re really lucky at LLS. The student body is unbelievably collegial, collaborative, and supportive. Both in and out of the classroom. I think that’s the reason why study groups work so well at the school. Missed yesterday’s lecture because you were out sick? You can always count on the person next to you to share notes. That’s just the type of students that make up LLS.

Law school exams are hard, and they were just as hard this time around—as expected lol. I’ve come to realize just how important study groups can be during exam season. It’s always nice to have a couple of classmates to be able to bounce ideas off of and work on practice problems together.   

After exams were over, I spent my winter break visiting Northern California and catching up with friends/family. Breaks are great opportunities to slow down and unwind for a bit.   

Most notably, I was able to visit Hearst Castle, located about four hours North of Los Angeles. I love paintings, and the castle (once a home to the Hearst Family) is full of works from Egypt, Greece, and Rome. A great place to visit!   

As a 3L, with the Bar Exam right around the corner, I also took the opportunity to do some light (emphasis on light) review of outlines, flashcards, etc.   

I am still in disbelief that law school is almost over, one more semester to go!  

Summer. The season of endless iced caramel macchiatos and sunny skies. After the whirlwind of 2L, I was very excited to start my summer break.

This past summer, I was able to intern with the Travelers Companies, Inc. as a summer associate in their worker’s compensation and general liability department. I came into law school wanting to practice in general liability, so this was a great opportunity to get more hands-on experience and further my understanding of the application of the law in everyday practice. I am a firm believer that there is no better way to perfect your craft than through real-world experiences.

I find the academic year to be rigorous, leaving little room to find downtime. But summer break is a completely different story— something that I will miss after graduation. I was able to spend time with family and friends and really take the time to forget (almost) about the pressures that come with law school. My partner and I are in a long-distance relationship—totally doable in law school—so, I found summer to be a great opportunity to spend more time with him too. Overall, my summer break was an amazing time to recharge as I prepared to go into my last year of law school.