Fall 2023
As we approach the last day of class, I have come to realize that these last six months in law school have absolutely flown by. I started in the summer with criminal law, and I am very thankful that I did so. Starting in the summer gave me the opportunity to ease into law school because it was only one class, and I was able to test out different study habits that might or might not work for me. An early start also allowed me to cultivate meaningful friendships that have been a great support as we transitioned into the fall semester with more classes which were, Torts, Civil Procedure, Legal Writing, and Contracts.
This term, I have really enjoyed all my classes for different reasons. Civil Procedure is my longest class of the week, but rightfully so, because we cover all the underlying rules and structures our legal system follows. Torts has been interesting and at times confusing because we have occasionally read cases from the 1800 hundreds and old English is not as easy to read as one would expect. Contracts has been fun because the professor has many movie references and keeps the class engaged with loud outbursts of excitement. Lastly, legal writing has been challenging and a lot of work because we are learning a completely new style of writing that we have never used before. I have heard it gets easier with time.
Outside of classes, our school provides an abundant number of activities and clubs to engage in that can help manage the stress of law school. While my focus this term was on classes, I participated in a few extracurriculars like the ADR Client Counseling Competition, clubs, and networking events. These were great opportunities to get better acquainted with students, staff, and other members of the legal community. My favorite event this term was probably the ADR Client Competition, although 1Ls cannot participate until the spring term, I volunteered to be a client for the participants. Being a client participant allowed me to gain some experience in how to interview clients and learn from the competitors during the interview. Most of these events also take place in the law building and since I spend much of my time on campus it is easy to walk up or down a floor to take a break from studying and engage in the different opportunities.
Next term, I hope to engage in more networking events and participate in the write-on competition for law review which takes place in the spring. For the next week and a half, I am focused on finals!
March 2024
After finals, I finally felt like I could turn my brain off for a few days and decided to watch TV. I started watching Suits at the beginning of the term but did not have time to finish it with all my readings, so it was nice to finally finish the show. During the break, I also spent some time with friends who live in the area and caught up with my family over the phone. I decided to stay in Seattle and got the opportunity to visit with Judge Gipe over the break to observe his docket and get some behind-the-scenes exposure to what a day in the life of a judge looks like. Although the break was four weeks it was way too short and soon enough we were back to school.
Coming back to school was exciting because, after this term, I will officially be done with my first year of law school. This term looks very similar to the last term because contracts and torts classes stay the same, but they increase by one credit so there is more reading. Tort law is the law I did not think I would find an interest in, but I have grown to enjoy the subject because of the many issues it covers. Contracts this term is getting more into the nitty gritty of things so I have taken additional time to understand the material. A new class for me this term is property, and I still do not have a firm opinion on it. My professor is great and makes the information easily digestible with breakout groups, but property has still been a challenging course this term. For legal writing, we are now on our fourth and last memo which I am very excited about. Legal writing takes up so much of my time, that I am looking forward to wrapping up the last memo.
Outside of school, I started volunteering with the Latinx Bar Association at their monthly clinic. Here, I assist with interpreting and the intakes for folks looking for legal help. I started volunteering here at the beginning of the year, and so far, have found the experience rewarding because it puts into use the skills I am learning in school. It also helps me better understand how legal problems are assessed by attorneys and what is affecting our community the most. This term I have also continued connecting with folks I met at networking events whose advice I found very helpful and who have continued to provide support during law school. I am looking forward to spring break in a week, during this time I hope to start prepping for my finals and submitting my application to law review.
