January 2026
Starting my second semester of law school, it has been so valuable to reflect on all my growth. In August, the semester felt so daunting. I had no idea how I was going to be able to complete all the readings and outlining that was expected of me. I remember crying on my first day and thinking, "There is no way I am going to be able to do this. I am not capable of this." It has been so satisfying to see just how wrong I was. Although it was certainly challenging, I am incredibly proud of how I succeeded this semester. It was most important for me to get over the imposter syndrome that I felt in the first week of school. The most insightful advice I got was that imposter syndrome will not help me, so it's important to let it go.
I certainly got into a groove with studying. I found my favorite study spots in the library and learned that I primarily work best studying by myself. I have also learned that I enjoy studying on campus and leaving all my textbooks in my locker, so I make sure that when I am home, I put law school away completely. This has helped me prioritize my family and friendships outside of law school. Another thing I did last semester that was certainly beneficial was going to the movies after a busy or stressful week. There is nothing better than watching someone else's story to be able to forget about contracts for a while. Over time, I was even able to convince my classmates to join me at the movies to decompress. The favorite we saw last semester was Tron Ares.
Moving into this next semester, it is important to me to keep the knowledge I gained and to be able to continue building on it. I have certainly improved in my legal writing abilities, as well as my reading skills. I am both proud and impressed with how long it takes me to read the assignments that would have taken me four hours. However, I am still open to growing and adapting my studying habits as I progress through law school. One thing I have changed for this semester is that I am not taking handwritten notes on my iPad instead of typing my notes. Even though the written notes are less uniform, I am hoping this is better for retention.
I am also keeping an open mind to classes that I originally would have preemptively decided I was not interested in. The reason for this is that at the start of last semester, I had a closed mindset to Civil Procedure and convinced myself I disliked the class; in the end, Civil Procedure was my best grade, and I was proud of the work I had put into the class. I think keeping an open mindset is certainly an intention I have for this semester.
Lastly, I hope that this coming semester I become more involved in Student Organizations. I am currently a member of the Fashion and Arts Law Society and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). In fact, next week I will be flying to New York to attend the IRAP summit and connect with other law students and lawyers. I hope that as the semester and law school continue, I find and apply for different organizations where I can connect with people.
March 2026
I cannot believe we are already midway through the semester! It has gone by so fast. I have stayed busy with my classes and am now getting involved in other student organizations on campus. Soon, my classmates and I will also be preparing to begin our summer jobs.
My classes have been good this semester. One thing I learned early on is that even though I have already experienced my first semester of law school, every professor has a different teaching style. Learning how to adapt to those differences has been really beneficial. I have also become more comfortable speaking up for what my classmates and I want from our classes, and I am very grateful to have professors who are receptive to that feedback.
Many of my classmates in my property class felt similar to me. We were unsure what we were supposed to be taking away from each class. Our professor gave us a feedback form, and several of us shared that we were pretty confused. After receiving that feedback, our professor was very receptive and shifted the way he teaches the class to better serve our needs. I am really grateful that Seattle University has professors who genuinely care about helping their students succeed.
Another thing I have really enjoyed this semester is seeing my fellow 1L classmates and I become more involved in co-curriculars and student organizations. Last month, a friend and I competed in the 1L Dispute Resolution Board client counseling and negotiations competition. It was exciting to practice some real lawyering skills and receive feedback about what we did well and where we could improve. My partner and I received particularly positive feedback about how warm we were with clients and how we maintained a positive demeanor.
Other classmates of mine are participating in the Moot Court Board 1L competition this weekend. It has been exciting to watch them prepare and practice how they plan to frame their arguments.
All of these experiences have reinforced something that the Center for Professional Development often reminds us: law school is a professional school, and it serves as a runway for our future careers. As the summer job search is underway, it has been helpful to keep that perspective in mind. The application process has been challenging, especially because, as a young law student, I am not entirely certain which specific area of law I want to practice in yet.
Nevertheless, the Center for Professional Development has been incredibly helpful in navigating the process. Being able to set up mock interviews and ask for advice on responding to emails has eased many of the anxieties that come with the job search. Although I am not yet certain what my summer will look like, I am excited about the possible opportunities ahead.
May 2026
Today marks the last day of classes for my first year of law school, and it has been so rewarding to reflect on how I came into this experience and everything I have gained since. I am preparing for finals and looking forward to officially having the first year in my rearview. It is bizarre to think about how much has changed since I put down my seat deposit a year ago. I recently had a reflection meeting with my legal writing professor, and we found ourselves laughing at how lost I felt in the first couple of weeks and beaming at the improvement. I have felt that legal writing specifically has been such a challenging aspect of my law school experience. Because it is the only class where I was receiving grades, I felt very defeated by not performing well in the first couple of assignments. I was unclear on the structure I was expected to use and what was being asked of me. I feel so far removed from that version of myself that I cannot help but smile when I think about how lost I was. Although I am proud of the classes that clicked from the beginning, I am most proud of the work I put into Legal Writing. As I look forward to the summer, I am excited to put the skills I learned to my job.
I am excited to share that I secured a job for the summer through networking. I attended the Family Law Society's networking event this spring and truly enjoyed hearing the different attorneys speak about their work and the meaningful impact they make in their clients' lives. It reminded me of what drew me to law school and solidified that I am looking for an area of law where personal connection and empathy are incredibly valuable. I look forward to helping regular people through some of the most stressful times of their lives.
Client counseling is something that has really interested me, especially with my experience on the Dispute Resolution Board. I had the opportunity to compete in this year's 1L client counseling and negotiation competition. I received positive feedback from the judges and was told I was very warm and approachable, which solidified my desire to pursue an area of law where the clients are at the heart of everything we do. After my amazing experience competing, I applied to be on the Dispute Resolution's executive board, and I am excited to serve as next year's Vice President of Communications. I am not only excited for my continued academic growth but also for the co-curricular activities I will be involved in. I cannot believe I am almost a 2L!
