Committed to leaving her mark on Loyola's campus, California, and internationally
I have sought out a lot of experiential experiences while at Loyola. Last year, I participated in a clinic (see an earlier post from me on this experience!), and in the fall of my 3L, I externed with the US DOJ’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
Classes at Loyola are so helpful to do my best work in my experiential opportunities. In my clinic, I was researching international legal issues, so only a couple of my doctrinal classes were applicable in my work. However, all my classes provided me with a critical legal foundation that allowed me to do my best work and serve the client in my work. This fall, at the DOJ, several of my classes directly informed my work. I consistently relied on my evidence and criminal procedure outlines, and I pulled on other knowledge to research, write memos, and assist the attorneys in their work.
Beyond class and doctrinal learning, my experiential learning opportunities are incredibly valuable to me. I have developed skills that I would otherwise not have had the chance to work on. I feel incredibly confident when I am assigned something at a job or in class that is more practical because I have such a wide range of experiences.
The experience is valuable, but I also love getting out of the classroom and putting my newly learned skills and knowledge to practice. It’s fun to work in the law (at least to me), especially after learning so much about it. And the experiential jobs have helped to solidify certain legal principles for me; rather than remaining in the abstract, the skills and legal ideas become tangible and useful. It is a pretty powerful experience.
TOPICS: 3L, Clinics, Experiential Learning, Externships, JD Day