STUDENT AND ALUMNI PROFILES

Professional experience prior to Law School:

Fulbright Scholar in Costa Rica: I investigated the human rights conditions of women in prostitution. Collaborating with the Costa Rican government's human rights watchdog agency and a local NGO that provides services to women in prostitution, I interviewed government officials and these women to evaluate the programs and services the government offered or could offer to these women, ultimately making recommendations to public policy.

What I Am Hoping to Do with My Law Degree:

I definitely want to work for the public interest and represent individuals who have suffered wrongdoing. I plan to go into human rights and civil rights law, with a particular focus on women's rights, and am also very interested in criminal law. My problem will more likely be choosing from among the many kinds of jobs that would captivate me within these fields.

My Best Experience at Penn Law:

I can't say that there is one outstanding event. Rather, the camaraderie running through all aspects of Penn life has provided an overall wonderful experience, ranging from contentious debates in criminal law to parties and socializing with the entire 1L class.

Professor Who Influenced Me Most:

Professor David Rudovsky is an excellent example of a public interest lawyer who is able to work in a firm without succumbing to the temptations of large-firm life. Before coming to Penn, I had a conception of firms as being entirely depersonalized, but his practice - civil rights plaintiffs' work and criminal defense - has shown me that I shouldn't close out a firm as a potential option. His career path has been very inspiring, and it's comforting to know that there are such options in the interaction of civil rights law and criminal law.

My Favorite Course:

Torts with Professor Eric Feldman. He gives the most outrageous hypotheticals, keeping the class immensely entertaining while at the same time pushing students to think about where exactly they will draw their limits on issues of liability. Class flies by, and sometimes I wonder if I'm attending a stand-up comedian's performance, though I'm always learning.

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

All the students at Penn are extremely intelligent, motivated, and eager to succeed. There's no good reason to engage in a competition for grades, as success isn't a zero-sum game - everyone is capable of securing a wonderful job. Instead, we're able to share our thoughts and learn from the amazing experiences and ideas of others; in the end, we all benefit from this added knowledge. Just as importantly, if not more so, I truly enjoy my time at Penn. Going into class knowing that there are 85 friendly faces in the room certainly diminishes an otherwise potentially daunting experience, and afterwards we're able to play hard with the same people with whom we were working hard earlier in the day.

My Favorite Philadelphia Moment:

Salsa dancing in Old City on the weekends!

What I'm Most Proud Of:

It's still early in my time at Penn, but being a member of the Penn Immigration Clinic and helping real clients who are in dire straits is very meaningful. I'm certainly no expert in immigration law - and not even proficient at this point! - and wasn't sure how much help I could offer to the clients. After I spoke at length with a desperate Peruvian woman in danger of being sent back to her home country because a previous attorney had made mistakes in her residency application, she couldn't stop thanking me for my time. She said that in all the time she's been in the U.S., no one has ever really listened to her or been concerned about her situation. Though I hadn't thought I had done all that much up to that point, I realized that I can have a large impact on the well-being of others, even at this early point in my legal career.

My Extracurricular Activities at Penn Law:

Apart from the Immigration Clinic, I take ballroom dance classes at the athletic center to take a break from academic and legal endeavors.

What I Did For Public Interest:

I'm conducting intake for Spanish speaking clients at an immigration law firm as part of the Penn Law Immigration Clinic. I interview clients who have called in during the week and been unable to speak with anyone due to the language barrier. I pass their information onto the attorneys, then call the clients back to let them know how to proceed with their attempts to legalize their immigration status.

My Favorite Place or Activity on the University Campus:

Looking out to the beautiful Philadelphia skyline. When I’m stuck behind a book, the gorgeous view to the city is a reminder of the life awaiting me after law school!

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