The decision of where to attend law school is not to be taken lightly. When I was in the position to choose, just last April, I went back to my engineer tendencies and made a spreadsheet. On it I listed all of the factors that should be considered when making this life-changing decision: location, alumni ties, bar passage rates, any special programs, etc. But much like the applicant that is not who she appears on paper, schools are much more than their statistics and notable professors. I knew that I had to visit the schools on my list to round out my decision-making process.
Loyola was the first of numerous schools I visited. On a very cold and rainy March afternoon, I entered the school that I would later spend more time in than my own home. I would be amiss if I did not mention that I had a strong gut feeling about the school during that visit. In the elevator with my sister, I rattled off interesting facts I had learned online. She smiled that familial-knowing smile, because she sensed I knew where I was going.
As much as instincts matter, my decision to attend Loyola rested on numerous very important factors that made the decision one I felt very confident in.
- Interactions with Faculty and Administration
As I left the engineering world to pursue patent law, I searched for programs and scholarships tailored to intellectual property law. In my search, I came upon Loyola’s scholarship website for incoming students. I was impressed from the start with the resources for scholarship money that Loyola made readily available online, and noticed that many other schools did not offer this assistance to prospective students.
I applied for the Intellectual Property Fellowship and was emailed by Professor Cynthia Ho, full-time Professor and the Director of Loyola’s Intellectual Property Program, shortly thereafter. She requested a phone interview and I excitedly took a vacation day from work to speak with her.
I prepared myself for a very formal, rigid interview and was fairly nervous when my phone finally rang. But much to my relief, Professor Ho was extremely kind and easy to speak with. I told her about my experiences as an engineer and what led me to patent law. We discussed my application materials, and she made me feel comfortable asking questions about the program.
When I was awarded the fellowship, Professor Ho went above and beyond to make sure that my questions were answered while I deliberated whether I would attend Loyola or another school. She connected me with current students and alumni, whom also factored into my decision, and was open and available via email to discuss any concerns.
Now that I have been a student at Loyola for about seven months and have taken two courses taught by Professor Ho, I know that her advice and desire to help others is not limited to prospective students. Professor Ho is always willing and excited to discuss IP law or Loyola in general and happily plans lunches with her students. She has also provided me with resume and interview tips tailored to patent law.
Thankfully, the spirit Professor Ho embodies is alive in all of my professors and the school administration. From my Contracts teacher taking interest in students’ “fun facts” to my Legal Writing professor taking time out of her weekend to hold conferences with us, the professors at Loyola are fully invested in not only getting to know us but also in seeing us succeed. It would also be particularly strange if I did not receive at least three emails from the administration every day inviting me to interesting and diverse events on campus. Even my extremely helpful career counselor is happy to see me drop in at least once per week. The school truly cares about your success and happiness, and that has been apparent to me since that early phone call with Professor Ho.
- Interaction with Current Students and Alumni
One of the first ways in which Professor Ho reached out to me was to provide me with names of current students and alumni I could speak to regarding Loyola. Better yet, those she connected me with were all past or current IP students.
I emailed each person she suggested and all of them had different, but very positive, things to say about the school and the program. The alumni were practicing in their field of choice and seemed very happy. I spoke with seven people total, had dinner with one past IP Fellow, and had coffee with an alumna.
Again, I have been so happy to learn that the desire to be involved and help fellow Loyola students was not only prevalent before I became an official student. During my summer internship job search in the past two months, my career counselor and Professor Ho have suggested numerous alumni for me to contact prior to interviewing at their firms. I exchanged emails with two attorneys at firms at which I interviewed who were very excited to speak with a Loyola student. I held two phone conversations with other alumni in which they gave me tips on my interview and discussed their impressions of their firms. These emails and phone calls were invaluable, and I ultimately received the offer I hoped for.
The resources at Loyola are simply phenomenal. I cannot imagine being in a different environment where my professors, career counselor, administration, peers of all years, and alumni are excited to get to know me and aid in my future success.
I look forward to providing this encouragement and assistance to future students in turn.
Cassandra Abernathy, 1L
