STUDENT AND ALUMNI PROFILES

What I Did Before Law School:

I founded the Younger Women’s Task Force, a national grassroots organizations for women in their 20s and 30s to take action on issues that matter most to them. YWTF trains younger women to be leaders in their workplaces and communities. In founding YWTF, I had the honor of traveling around the country, talking with younger women about the issues that affect their daily lives.

What I Am Hoping to Do with My Law Degree:

Ultimately, I would like to run for political office in my home state of Connecticut. Immediately after law school, I hope to clerk for a judge and then find a job that incorporates my passion and interest in community development.

My Best Experience at Penn Law:

My best experience at Penn Law has been founding the Penn Law International Human Rights Advocates with four other first year students. Only at a place like Penn Law would you be able to manifest leadership so early in the law school experience. Penn Law has been incredibly supportive of our work.

Professor Who Influenced Me Most:

Professor Catherine Struve. Her energy is tremendous, and she is incredibly dedicated to her students. She is also one of the more brilliant people I have come across. As a younger woman, I feel blessed to have her as a mentor and role model for my remaining years at Penn Law.

My Favorite Course:

It’s hard to choose. My section was very lucky to have four great professors—Struve, Madison, Feldman, and Pritchett. I would have to say that for me personally, my passion for civil procedure was the biggest surprise. Who goes into law school wanting to study civil procedure?! However, because I want to pursue public interest litigation, and because Struve taught it so well, it was a wonderful course.

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

In working on the human rights clinic, I have been able to reach out to faculty at the Medical School and in the African Studies Department at the University to figure out ways we can collaborate on some of the work we are pursuing.

My Favorite Philadelphia Moment:

I spent my undergraduate years at Penn so I have many favorite Philadelphia moments, but my favorite moment was a warm summer night in Rittenhouse Square—the night my husband Tom proposed to me!

What I'm Most Proud Of:

I am proud of how much public interest work I have already done in my first semester. I am also proud of the relationships I have built with my professors and some of the staff at the Law School. I truly feel like I am a member of a community in only several months.

My Extracurricular Activities at Penn Law:

In addition to the Human Rights Advocates, I am involved in the Reproductive Rights Clinic and Penn Advocates for the Homeless.

What I Did For Public Service:

Same

My Favorite Place or Activity on the University Campus:

The Fine Arts Library, where I do all of my Law Achool homework. It is quiet, beautiful, and very conducive to intense study.

What is the toughest thing about law school?

Not getting caught up in the pressure to be on the “law school track.” You should always remember that you were a full person before you came to law school and that there is nothing you “have” to do with your summers or your free time.

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