As a 1L who works outside of school, I made a deliberate effort to build relationships with my professors.

I regularly attended Professor Grossi’s office hours, partly because her passion for the law is contagious. She does not just teach doctrine; she brings it to life in a way that deepened my understanding of the material and reminded me why I came to law school.

Outside the classroom, my friend Michael and I worked with Professor Grossi to organize section gatherings after class. These gatherings gave students a chance to connect with her in a more conversational setting. I found The Liberties, an LLS alum-owned bar fittingly named for law students, and we hosted our gatherings there.

In class, my interactions with other professors have been more structured, but still impactful. Professor Selmi once remarked that the best attorneys are those who can put themselves in the shoes of the people they are dealing with. That observation resonated with me. He was not simply referring to empathy in the abstract, but to developing an awareness of the facts and circumstances shaping a person’s situation. When I mentioned that I was navigating a legal matter outside of school, he offered to reach out to someone on my behalf. That willingness to step in demonstrated that his investment in students extends beyond the classroom.

Overall, I find the faculty accessible and invested. Some are expressive and relational; others are direct and highly structured. Both approaches reflect a seriousness about teaching and a respect for students’ growth. What I appreciate most is that Loyola’s professors are not simply preparing us to pass the bar or perform well on their exams. They are preparing us to practice. They train us to think like advocates, to exercise sound judgment, and to use our knowledge of the law in the service of something larger than ourselves.

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.

In the month of love and friendship, I have been reflecting on what I genuinely love about Loyola Law School.

Last year when I was asked this question, my answer centered on the diversity of my cohort, the quiet late nights on campus, and the beauty of the Downtown skyline.  All of this still holds true.  But now, after spending a year and a half at Loyola, I have discovered even more to appreciate.  

What I love most about Loyola is the opportunity it creates for all students to be themselves.

If you had asked me during my senior year of undergraduate studies where I would be today, I honestly would not have known.  I was not a traditional student.  I transferred from community college to a university, worked different jobs all throughout my undergraduate years, started studying for the LSAT later than many of my peers, and often wondered whether I was already at a disadvantage before law school even began.

Yet, Loyola never made me feel like I did not belong, even as a first-generation student navigating the legal field on my own.

Through its evening program, supportive faculty, and collaborative student body, Loyola has created a space where students from all walks of life can thrive.  Many of us balance full-time jobs, family responsibilities, and coursework, yet we are met with understanding, flexibility, and encouragement from our Professors and faculty. 

Loyola has given me a strong support network, including mentors who are Loyola alumni, a position at a law firm, and professors and classmates who continually support and guide me throughout this journey.   

Here, your background is not viewed as a limitation, but it’s valued as part of what makes the community stronger.

 

Happy Valentine’s Month! In this month celebrating “love,” I’ve had a chance to reflect on what I “love” about Loyola and my time here so far. I came from a huge public university where resources were scarce, and time and space and class spots were always a battle. Coming from a school where class sizes of 500+ were typical, being able to have significant face-time with my professors and an overabundance of resources available to me has made me very appreciative of Loyola.

During the fall semester, when I was not able to attend office hours due to work or personal conflicts, I was able to make a separate appointment with my professors as needed. When I was not sure if my computer would be compatible with the exam software for my Contracts midterm, I was able to email someone and get an answer the same day. There is also an abundance of academic success resources available at Loyola Law School, including one-on-one appointments with “writing specialists” who will help coach you through legal writing and office hours with upper-year students who have been exactly where I was only a couple years ago.

What I love the most about Loyola, however, is that they understand that if you are in the hybrid evening program it means you are probably working full time or have other competing obligations. Therefore, resources are offered remotely, at off-hours, and with busy schedules in mind. There is a clear thoughtfulness and willingness to accommodate amongst the faculty and fellow students which helps add to my sense of community.

One thing that I heard a lot about prior to coming to law school was the importance of study groups, which I initially half dismissed and half scoffed at because when I was in undergrad (and even in high school) I absolutely HATED group work.

However, study groups have been indeed essential to ensuring I have been able to get through law school.

Before my Contracts midterm, one of my study group buddies (who commutes to school from Burbank) and I (I drive in from Irvine) had a three-hour long phone call where we went over our professor’s practice problems and talked through our analysis. Prior to my fall semester final exams, I hosted my friends over at my apartment a couple different times. We ordered pizza, went over practice problems, and talked through our outlines. I truly believe that these study sessions were the key to my success during exam season.

Law school exam questions (and therefore, law school overall) require different perspectives. You have to be able to attack questions from multiple angles and consider different arguments. For the evening program specifically, my study partners work for immigration advocacy groups, for huge entertainment groups, for tax and accountancy firms, etc. In other words, my friends not only bring their unique personal and cultural backgrounds but also have rich professional experience which elevates their thought process.

My study partners have helped me stay accountable by motivating me to get through more practice problems than I might have otherwise. They have talked me off the ledge when I started going down a rabbit hole when I was struggling through the “self-defense” aspect of intentional torts. Perhaps most importantly, law school is not an experience that you can get through alone, especially if you are simultaneously still working full-time. My friends I have met at Loyola have been an incredible balm for my mental health and general sanity. We vent to each other about law school stress, work-life balance, and they understand my current stressors like nobody else does. I think that’s why even though I didn’t really get the importance of study groups prior to starting law school, I’ve come to rely on my study group a lot to get through my time in law school.

If I knew during my first year of law school what I know now, I would have approached 1L with a little more intention and a lot more grace. While the workload and pressure felt overwhelming at times, experience has taught me that success in law school is less about perfection and more about strategy, consistency, and balance.

One of the biggest things I would do differently is focus earlier on understanding how to study for law school exams, rather than trying to master every reading in isolation. During 1L, it is easy to get caught up in briefing cases line by line and equating time spent with effectiveness. Looking back, I wish I had prioritized outlining sooner and spent more time practicing how to apply the law in exam-style hypotheticals. Law school exams reward issue spotting and analysis, not memorization, and that is something that becomes clearer with experience.

Perhaps the most important advice I wish I had known sooner is to stop comparing myself to everyone else. Law school creates a constant stream of visible achievement, and it is easy to assume that everyone else has it figured out. In reality, most students are navigating the same uncertainty. Focusing on your own progress, rather than someone else’s, allows you to learn more effectively and protect your confidence.

If I could give one piece of advice to incoming 1Ls, it would be this: treat law school like a marathon, not a sprint. Build sustainable habits, trust your process, and remember that growth often happens quietly. With time, clarity comes, and what once felt overwhelming becomes manageable.

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.

I experienced a warm, caring culture during my undergraduate years at LMU, and coming to Loyola Law School felt like returning to a familiar place that genuinely values its students. That sense of continuity mattered to me more than I expected, especially in an environment as demanding as law school.

What I appreciate about Loyola is how much the professors care. Their engagement does not stop when class ends. Outside the classroom, they are accessible not only to clarify and discuss career paths, but also to check in with students and, occasionally, help them figure out how to survive their class. Many go beyond what is required by actively connecting students with opportunities, mentors, and real-world perspectives, a level of investment that shapes how passionately students approach their work.

The student culture reinforces this feeling. I have made friends who are generous with their time, support, and encouragement. Law school can be competitive, but at Loyola, it feels collaborative. That shared sense of purpose makes the workload more manageable and the experience more meaningful.

I also value Loyola’s reputation. Through my work experience both within and outside the legal field, I have met many successful and passionate attorneys who graduated from Loyola. Even attorneys who did not attend Loyola recognize the school for producing sharp, well-prepared professionals. My friends at other LA law schools consistently echo that perception.

What makes Loyola unique is how effectively it prepares students for meaningful work across virtually every area of law and beyond, while cultivating a community that cares about who you become along the way. That is what I have grown to love most about my time here.

Rankings or outcomes often measure the value of a law degree, but my experience at Loyola has shown me that its true value is built day by day through effort, connection, and community. How hard you work, how deeply you engage with the material, and how willing you are to invest in the people around you ultimately shape what you take away from law school.

One of the things I appreciate most about Loyola is the sense of support that exists both inside and outside the classroom. Faculty members are genuinely invested in their students, not just as future lawyers but as people. Professors are approachable, open to questions, and willing to share their own experiences in practice, which makes learning feel grounded and real. Those small moments, stopping by office hours, receiving thoughtful feedback, or having a professor remember your interests, make a lasting impact.

Equally meaningful are the connections formed with fellow students. Law school can be demanding, but Loyola fosters an environment where collaboration is encouraged. Whether it is studying together, sharing outlines, or simply checking in on one another during stressful weeks, there is a strong sense that students want to see each other succeed. That culture has made even the most challenging moments feel manageable.

What makes Loyola unique is its balance of rigor and humanity. The emphasis on advocacy, ethics, and service consistently reinforces the idea that being a good lawyer also means being a thoughtful and responsible one. Through clinics, student organizations, and classroom discussions, Loyola encourages students to find purpose in their work and to think about the broader impact of the law.

For prospective students, Loyola is a place where effort is recognized, voices are valued, and relationships matter. It is a school that challenges you while also supporting you, and that combination has made my experience here both meaningful and memorable.