STUDENT AND ALUMNI PROFILES

What I Did Before Law School:

I taught music during college, including percussion and piano. I also worked with a high school marching band and was an active political campaign volunteer. After college, I was a legal assistant for four years in the field of Education Law and worked with attorneys that represented school districts.

What I Am Hoping to Do with My Law Degree:

I'd like to practice law in such a way that both helps my clients and influences the way things work in general.

My Best Experience at Penn Law:

My 1L section was very close. We made up t-shirts that had all the stupid quotes and inside jokes from our classmates and our professors. On the last day of classes before exams, we passed out the t-shirts. One classmate brought "refreshments" for everyone, and we all celebrated and reminisced. It was a great end to the first year of law school.

Professor Who Influenced Me Most:

Professor Catherine Struve not only managed to make the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure interesting, she actually got me to understand them, too. She had great flowcharts and outlines to break down complicated legal questions like the Erie doctrine. Since taking her class, I find myself using her teaching strategies to break down my material in other classes to help me understand it better. There can be no higher compliment to a teacher than to use their teaching strategies to learn other subjects!

My Favorite Course:

Criminal Law with Professor Stephen Morse. He managed to make the Socratic Method entertaining. His great sense of humor and ability to tackle the tougher cases with charm made his class fun to attend.

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

Cross-disciplinary studies aren't just a theoretical selling point for the Law School. Here, they are a pervasive philosophy, and many students take advantage of it. Every semester, I have at least one professor with an advanced degree in another field and at least one professor who has a dual appointment with another school at the University. Their outside studies enter into classroom discussions and add depth to the subject material. The cross-disciplinary emphasis has encouraged me to explore other areas of expertise here at Penn, and I'm hoping to take a few classes in government and/or education before I graduate.

Meaningful Cross-disciplinary Experience at Penn:

I haven't had a chance to take classes outside the law school yet, but the cross-disciplinary emphasis at Penn works both ways. Our Criminal Procedure: Investigation class, taught by Professor Stephanos Bibas, has a sizeable number of criminology majors that speak up about some truly unique experiences working with local police departments. It adds a new, practical dimension to the academic legal discussion, and I don't think the class would be the same without them.

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

Law school is stressful enough. As a first year student, you struggle to manage your time, get your reading done, prepare for class, and somehow step back to see the "big picture" before exams start. You don't need to be competing with your classmates on top of it all, and we certainly don't do that here. We trade old outlines freely. We offer notes to classmates who were sick and missed class. You won't hear people trying to impress each other with how much they study or how thick their outline is already. Everyone learns differently, and the atmosphere lets you do things your way without feeling like you aren't doing enough. Personally, I not only learn a lot more here than I would in a more competitive environment, I also get a lot more sleep and am generally a much happier person.

My Favorite Philadelphia Moment:

My mother-in-law took my husband and me on a lunch cruise down the Delaware River, which was a great way to see an entirely different side of the city.

What I'm Most Proud Of:

My friends here at Penn, who seem to be doing amazing things all the time - all over the world!

My Extracurricular Activities at Penn Law:

Journal of Constitutional Law, Joint Tenants Society (for married/partnered/engaged students), Federalist Society, Morris Fellow

What I Did For Public Service:

Last year, I worked with the City of Philadelphia Law Department, Real Estate and Economic Development division, and I highly recommend the experience to anyone interested in real estate law or government work.  This year, I will be working with the School District of Philadelphia doing education-related work.

My Favorite Place or Activity on the University Campus:

When you first walk into the Lower Egypt gallery at the Penn Museum, the large sphinx and temple columns are absolutely stunning. The museum is only a five minute walk from the law school and admission is free with a Penn ID. It's a great place to take a study break!

If you could share one piece of advice with prospective students, what would it be?

When you visit schools, stop a random student or two in the hallway to ask questions about their experience. Their attitude towards you and their willingness to help can be very telling about the true character of the law school.

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