STUDENT AND ALUMNI PROFILES

What I Did Before Law School:

I worked for almost a year and a half in New York City at the accounting firm, Ernst & Young. I spent time in the Banking & Capital Markets, Mutual Funds, and Hedge Funds groups.

What I Am Hoping to Do with My Law Degree:

I would like to get back into the corporate world at a large law firm that practices corporate law. I would like to try out a number of different practices at a law firm: I already have a solid understanding of what tax law is about but there are a lot of other areas to explore before I make the final decision.

My Best Experience at Penn Law:

Recently, the three other CSR 1L representatives and I hosted the 1st Annual Battle for Civ Pro Bragging Rights which was a broomball tournament. We all thought our own Civ Pro sections were superior so we decided to settle it once and for all on the ice. We had well over 100 students show up, three professors actually played, two deans were in the audience, and it was just a fantastic event. Dean Clinton wants to make it truly an annual event!

My Favorite Course:

Wow. It's really hard to choose just one class. I'll probably have to say Civil Procedure with Professor Wolff although it is very close. Civil Procedure is probably the hardest class, and I never want to be called on because Prof. Wolff asked questions that are so detailed that you have to know the case inside and out, but after each class I feel like I've accomplished something and have a very firm grasp about the legal concept that was central to that day's case.

An Example of How the Law School's Cross-disciplinary Approach Influences My Legal Education:

I am considering applying for the joint J.D./M.B.A. degree before my 2L year. Should I decide to pursue that degree it would be very marketable in the business world.

Meaningful Cross-disciplinary Experience at Penn:

I go to a lot of talks given throughout the Law School and the University, in general. I try to go to topics that I know nothing about. It helps me to broaden my understanding of possible future careers. One talk that was given was especially interesting on Bioethics and the Law. I hadn't ever considered issues like those being talked about, but it was fascinating.

Penn Law is known for its collegial environment. Why is collegiality important to a legal education? How has it affected your legal education?

Admittedly, when I was deciding between law schools collegiality was close to last on my list of important factors. I was going to go to the school that afforded the best career options after graduation. And what was collegiality supposed to mean anyway? It was only after I arrived at Penn that I realized how lucky I was to have chosen Penn. Collegiality made a huge difference in how much I enjoyed the first year. When you're spending long hours at school and in the library, trust me, the last type or person you want to spend time with are the people that see you as an obstacle in the way of their success. These people don't seem to find their way to Penn.

My Favorite Philadelphia Moment:

Again, this is very difficult to narrow down. One of my classmates, Dimitri Islam, created a dining group that meets every two weeks to visit various eateries in the city. It is so popular that it has grown to an average of 50-60 law students who turn out for any given event. We basically rent out the whole restaurant and you never know what will happen when you get that many law students together. One night when we were having Dim Sum in Chinatown, several of my classmates convinced Jon Sorkowitz to try a Chinese beer for the first time. He was hesitant, but finally agreed. When he took his first drink, he exclaimed "Wow, it's rather watered down!" It turns out that the bottle was just a beer bottle with water in it. It was pretty funny.

What I'm Most Proud Of:

Not sure it's anything to be proud of, but I came into school with a plan to do nothing but books because I felt that was the only way to succeed. I've ended up getting involved in many different aspects of Penn life, and that has made the whole experience much more fulfilling. I also have done very well keeping up and ahead on my work.

My Extracurricular Activities at Penn Law:

Council of Student Representatives (Student Government) 1L representative, Black Law Student Association, Asian Pacific Law Student Association, Post Acceptance Committee

My Favorite Place or Activity on the University Campus:

Favorite activity is just about anything with my classmates. We have an extremely close 2009 class and someone always has something going on. And anyone is welcome to show up.

Q: I've heard people say that you really don't want to live in the dorms, and it is much better to get your own place in Center City.

A: I couldn't imagine a better living situation right now than the dorms. I'm almost certain I'm not moving out next year. I'm currently 2 blocks from the Law School and 2 blocks from the gym. Time is at a premium this year, and if I need to run home for lunch I can do that and save a lot of money. I can't emphasize enough how convenient it is. Are the dorms luxurious living? Obviously not, but you're not making lawyer money yet either...

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