Helping other international students find their place at Loyola Law School
Being in huge classes where you feel like just one more head peeking out from behind a laptop screen might feel like you don’t have the opportunity to get to know your professors, but besides office hours and panicked emails the days before the exam, there are many chances to get to know the faculty.
For me, I found that the first big opportunity to get to know my professors was through clinics; in my case, the International Human Rights Practicum with Cesare Romano. I remember the moment I introduced myself to him as ‘Missy’ instead of ‘Michelle’, because most of my law school professors before then knew me as ‘Michelle’ or ‘Miss Elizalde’.
The other opportunity I’ve had has been slightly backwards. I met several adjunct professors through interviews and networking events through the Philippine American Bar Association. In its own unique way, it shows just how small the SoCal legal community is, and it removes some of the nerves around professors by seeing them outside of the classroom. Being able to speak both Tagalog and English with Phil Nulud who teaches a very successful course on Fashion Law, and seeing familiar names during OCI and other networking opportunities, has been a unique experience illustrative of LLS’s presence in the community, and the strength of the alumni network.
I wish I knew as a 1L that I would have significantly more interaction with professors than I initially expected, I believe it would have helped me ask more questions and been more willing to pick their brains for the wealth of advice and experience that they have. I know I will appreciate the connections I’ve had when I leave LLS, and know that I will always be able to reach out to the faculty for advice long after graduation.
TOPICS: 3L, Clinics, Experiential Learning, Faculty, Human Rights, International Law, JD Day