As spring semester finals rapidly approach, it means it’s time for me to buckle down and finish my outlines. But after that, it will be summer!

As an evening student, that means more of fall and spring semester for me. In the Loyola hybrid program, the summers between the first couple of years are also spent taking classes (albeit, for a condensed eight weeks). This upcoming summer, I will be taking Constitutional Law on Monday and Wednesday nights. I am really excited for this course as I am really interested in civil rights litigation and want to learn more about it. This summer I will also be continuing to work my full-time job as a paralegal.

The benefit of this schedule is that I’m already in a good groove in terms of my weekly schedule, and nothing much will have to change when summer starts. I also still get a break between July 13 (my Con Law final) and the start of my 2nd year fall semester (August 17), so I will still be refreshed before starting with Criminal Law, Property, and Legislation and Regulation.

During that approximate month off from school, I have a two-week long military training, and then I will probably take some time to travel with my family. See you next year!

Summer is on the horizon, and with it comes the chance to continue growing both academically and professionally, while still making time to enjoy life outside of law school.

Looking back at my post from last year, it is amazing to see how much has changed.  This summer, I’m diving into Evidence Law, and having observed my first trial in February, as part of my clerkship, I got a small glimpse of how the rules of evidence play out in practice.  Seeing attorneys raise objections and navigate admissibility in real time was eye-opening, and I’m excited to learn more in class and apply it directly during my clerkship.  My goal is to continue building my skills, earn certification, and contribute meaningfully in the Los Angeles legal community through pro-bono volunteer work – all opportunities Loyola helped make possible.  

Of course, summer is not all work.  Balancing clerkships, classes, and professional growth with time for family and friends and small adventures is important too.  And who knows maybe, this summer, I will actually catch up on Suits.

Here’s to another summer of more learning, more growth, and making the most of every opportunity while still enjoying the moments that make it worthwhile.

At this point, I am not entirely certain what my summer will look like, but I do know one thing with complete certainty: I will be working. That much has never really been in question for me. What remains open is the setting. I recently interviewed with a law firm through Loyola Law School’s OCI process, and I am still waiting to hear back. Also, I may have the opportunity to return to a law firm where I previously worked. I’d be grateful for either opportunity. 

While my path is still developing, the larger direction feels clear.

In some ways, not having my summer fully mapped out has been one of the more honest parts of law school. A lot of conversations about summer plans can make it seem like everyone has everything mapped out early, but that hasn’t been my experience. To me, this stage has not been about forcing a perfect plan, but about staying ready for the right opportunity. What matters most is continuing to build professional experience, sharpening my judgment, and spending the summer in an environment where I can expand my legal knowledge.

I am excited to work this summer, and I am ready for the challenges of legal work and continued growth through experience. I really appreciate the support at Loyola Law School, which made these opportunities possible in the first place.

Loyola has played a significant role in making those possibilities accessible, especially through OCI. Loyola has shown me that legal careers are built through relationships, preparation, and readiness when an opportunity arises.

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.

1. It’s different from undergrad—treat it that way.

 The way you learn in law school is completely different from undergrad. It’s not just about understanding the material; it’s about knowing when and how to apply it and doing so better than others. When you start law school, bring your best study habits with you, but be prepared to adapt how you approach learning.

2. You can be anyone you want in law school.

 I truly believe you can be yourself in law school. You can love shopping, watching movies, cooking, hiking, going to the beach, or spending time with family. Loyola is full of all kinds of people, and no matter who you are, you will find your place.

3. Be proud of yourself at every step.

Law school is a long journey, and it’s important to celebrate the small wins along the way. For me, that meant being proud of myself every time I nailed a cold call. As you settle into the routine, the things that once felt intimidating will start to feel manageable. Don’t forget to recognize the progress you’ve made to get there, starting with choosing a law school.

One piece of advice that I got prior to starting law school was to also use law school as an opportunity to network, and to take advantage of as many opportunities to explore and network as possible. At Loyola, there have been several different opportunities and types of events where I was able to network.

Some of the events were offered through an LLS student organization, such as APALSA (Asian Pacific American Law Students Association). APALSA holds an annual “night market” where people could play games, win prizes, and mingle with students from other law schools and attorneys who were sponsors and/or alumni of APALSA. I was able to talk with a currently practicing tax attorney, a corporate litigation attorney, and I was able to meet students from UCLA, Southwestern, USC, Pepperdine, UC Irvine, and Chapman.

Other events were offered directly from Loyola—such as the First-Year Alumni Mentorship program. In September of last year, I was matched with an alumni mentor who had also gone through the hybrid evening program at Loyola. My alumni mentor and I have been able to connect several times over phone, and she has given me advice on everything from self-care and withstanding pressure to how to get through law school exams. Although I work with attorneys at my job as a paralegal, being able to talk with a currently practicing attorney, who has been through the exact same program I am currently going through, has been invaluable.

Loyola is home to a wide variety of student clubs and organizations, many of which host events throughout the year.  As an evening student, my schedule can be demanding, and it is not always easy to stay on campus beyond what is required.  Still, I made a promise to myself early on in law school: each semester, I would attend at least one or two campus events.  So far, I have managed to stay true to that promise.

While I have attended several great events during my time at Loyola, the one that stands out most is the Health Law Student & Alumni Mixer that took place during the fall semester of my second year.  Before attending, I knew very little about health law.  I mainly went to accompany a friend, expecting to listen politely and learn more about a field that was unfamiliar to me.

What I did not expect was how interesting the conversation would be.

The event featured a panel of four Loyola alumni who now work in different areas of health law. Each speaker shared how their careers developed and how their experiences at Loyola helped guide them toward the field.  One of the most surprising things I learned was that many of them had not planned to pursue health law when they first started law school.  Instead, internships, coursework, and networking gradually introduced them to the field and shaped their career paths.

Listening to their stories opened my eyes to the scope of health law.  The work extends far beyond what I had imagined, touching on areas such as regulation, compliance, and sometimes even litigation. 

After the panel concluded, the event transitioned into a mixer where students had the opportunity to speak with the alumni individually.  What stood out most was how approachable and generous everyone was with their time. The attorneys answered questions and offered advice to students who were still exploring their interests.

I left the event not only with a better understanding of health law, but also with several new professional connections.  I exchanged LinkedIn information with a few of the alumni and later had the opportunity to meet with one of them individually.  During our conversation, she shared helpful advice about preparing for the bar exam and navigating some of the more challenging semesters of law school.

Law school often encourages us to think carefully about the paths we plan to pursue.  But events like this one remind me that sometimes the most valuable experiences come from simply showing up with an open mind. For me, the Health Law Student & Alumni Mixer was a reminder that some of the best opportunities in law school happen outside the classroom.

At Loyola, there are so many alumni panel discussions that it’s almost impossible to attend them all. When I first arrived, a professor joked that there are enough lunch events with free food that you never have to buy lunch. I laughed at the time, but it’s actually true. Outside of midterm and final weeks, there are events happening almost every day across nearly every area of legal practice.

Coming to Loyola, I had an idea of what area of law I might want to pursue, but I also wanted to explore. I’ve gone to panels from divorce law to construction law to sports and entertainment law. Each speaker feels like a job posting brought to life, you get to hear about their day-to-day work and decide for yourself whether you could see yourself in that role.

I was also assigned a mentor at the beginning of 1L whom I can reach out to with questions or simply to talk to about law school and networking. Having a mentor to turn to during this year has been invaluable. Speaking with them has helped me navigate the process of networking and connecting with practicing lawyers with confidence.

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.

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.