Why did you choose to go to law school?

I have wanted to go to law school since I was very young. I have always been interested in the kind of enriching and high-intensity environment that a career in law appeared to provide. However, financial constraints and little to no exposure to real attorneys made attending law school feel unachievable. That is until I moved from the Baltimore area to D.C. where I discovered that many D.C. area law schools, including Catholic, had part-time offerings that would allow me to keep my job and study in the evenings. This inspired me to take the LSAT and to start applying.

Why Catholic Law? (prior to attending)

I grew up in the DMV area, have a family here, and work in the area so I knew that if I were to go to back to school, I wanted to stay local. When I received an offer from Catholic, I was impressed by how beautiful the campus was and especially interested in the certificate offerings. Having worked in advertising prior to law school, I wanted my practice to have a technology and communications focus. This made the Law and Technology Certificate very compelling and ultimately why I chose Catholic.

What Externships or other practical experiences did you do at Catholic Law?

In my first few years of the evening program, I transitioned from my previous career in advertising to the legal field. By the end of 1E, I was working as a law clerk for the Office of the General Counsel for the U.S. House of Representative. I obtained this job by working closely with the Career Office here on campus. Dean Newell connected me with alumni and current students who had experience at the House and knew of the law clerk position. My experience at the House was invaluable. I learned to effectively cite-check and edit motions, memoranda, and other filings and even had the opportunity to draft memoranda in ongoing pro se matters. I also had the chance to familiarize myself with federal and state court filing systems and even supported attorneys on amicus briefs filed at the U.S. Supreme Court.

As I entered my third year, I knew I wanted to experience other kinds of work, particularly work in federal agencies. Thus, I moved to the SEC that summer in the SEC Scholar’s Program and worked for their Office of General Counsel, this time focused on labor and employment matters. This was another fantastic experience that inspired me to explore another agency in my focus area––communications law. I joined the FCC as an intern in the Fall semester. My time at the FCC was exceptional. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was surrounded by Catholic alumni at the Commission. I also planned my semester schedule such that I was at the FCC during the same semester that I took classes like cyberlaw and a practicum on technology and communications. That was the first semester during which I felt I could really apply what I was studying in class to my day-to-day work.

I was then lucky to obtain a summer associate position at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP’s Washington D.C. office. My time as a summer associate was another fantastic, substantive experience that I feel fortunate to have had during law school. During my final year, I am serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Catholic University Law Review. While this is not formally an internship or paid role, it has undoubtedly been a professional experience that I will carry with me throughout my career. As the Editor, I have had the chance to explore the operations of legal academia; collect, edit, and read a variety of compelling articles on relevant legal developments; manage organizational funding; produce complex schedules for a large team of editors; and hone my management skills as a student leader.

What experiences at Catholic Law were highlights for you?

I really enjoyed the Technology and Communications Practicum during my third-year. As an evening student, I usually prioritize jobs and externships over on-campus opportunities like clinics or otherwise. However, I had the opportunity to take the Practicum as part of the LTI program and could not have had more fun. The Professors were engaging and experienced and the work we did was incredibly practical. Over the course of the year, we worked on a comment to be filed with the FCC regarding the Universal Service Fund. This kind of practice-oriented writing was a refreshing change after taking so many doctrinal courses. The Professors also set up a fantastic mock ex parte in the Spring semester where we presented to faux members of the Commission. This practical experience enabled me to engage with members of the communications bar more thoughtfully and with a real understanding of their practice.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I will be staying in the DMV and, upon passage of the bar, expect to be joining Arnold & Porter as a first-year associate in their Washington, D.C. office. I am excited to start my legal career at such a fantastic firm.

Why Catholic Law now?

I think the location of the law school matters. The location of your school greatly effects the connections available to you, the interests of your peers, the class offerings, and––most importantly––the available job opportunities. Catholic is perfectly situated in the heart of D.C. and has a broad network here. The alumni network is instrumental to law students and has certainly kickstarted my legal career. Every member of the alumni community is friendly, thoughtful, and willing to help. That kind of support system goes a long way for law students.