Program
Day
Undergraduate institutions and degrees
University of Rochester – Bachelor of Arts – Double Major Bioethics and Political Science
Hometown – City, State, and Country (if not the U.S.)
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Law school program specialty, certificate, or concentration (if applicable)
Health Law Certificate
Extracurricular and co-curricular activities
Maryland Law Review, Student Bar Association Executive Board Secretary, Writing Fellow, Student Health Law Organization, Maryland Public Interest Law Project, Research Assistant to Professor Boldt, Externship at the National Institutes of Health
Post-graduation plans
I will be working as an associate attorney in the Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory practice at Arnold & Porter’s office in Washington, D.C.
What was your most memorable law school moment?
I’ll never forget testifying at the Maryland legislature in support of the End-of-Life Option Act, which would have legalized medical aid in dying. I testified after a physician diagnosed with terminal brain cancer who shared his deeply personal story, leaving the room in tears. I thought my testimony, a more technical legal analysis of state law and case precedent, was not impactful. But after I spoke, the doctor put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me with tears in his eyes and said “thank you.” That was the first time that I felt like a lawyer, giving a legal voice to those in need.
Finish this sentence: I could not have gotten through law school without…
caffeine, highlighters, and OneNote
Who are your mentors? How have they impacted your journey?
My mentors are my clinic professor, Kathi Hoke, and my supervising attorneys at my summer jobs at the Maryland Office of the Attorney General and Bekman, Marder & Adkins. In clinic and beyond Kathi helped me explore my passion for working on issues at the intersection of public health, ethics, and law. She not only molded me into a public health law advocate by helping me refine my research, writing, and speaking skills, but she also guided me as I made decisions about my career. The attorneys at my summer jobs gave me invaluable feedback that taught me how to work as a diligent attorney.
What did you learn about yourself in law school?
In law school I learned that I like taking on challenges since I thrive under pressure. Whether through taking an exam or writing a paper, I realized to be the best advocate I need to trust my own ideas about novel and complex issues and be confident in my speaking and writing.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
All of the health law professors I took, especially Professor Hoke, Henry, Henson, and Palumbo, taught fascinating seminars. I valued these professors who were able to engage students on important issues in the ever evolving field of health law. Professor Rothenberg was also great to work with since she created a unique opportunity for me to extern at NIH, learning from world-renowned medical and legal scholars and writing about novel legal issues in genomics.
What was your favorite class and why?
I came to law school so that I could get involved in solving some of the biggest public health crises like the opioid epidemic, so my favorite class was the Opioid Epidemic: Law and Policy Seminar. I wrote my personal statement for my law school application about how the opioid epidemic impacted my home town and motivated me to study health law, so my law school career came full circle when I took this seminar in my last semester and wrote a paper about the thousands of lawsuits against opioid companies.
Write a message.
Thank you to my family who supported me even when I didn’t take the time to explain what part of law school stressed me out on that particular day. Thanks to my roommates who lived with me in the law school bubble all this time, surviving floods, mice, loud neighbors, and three years of law school stress. Thank you to Pickles and all of my other friends from law school for the fun times and emotional support. To my friends from home and college, thanks for staying in touch when I was too busy to reach out and always visiting me in Baltimore. Lastly, a special thank you to my boyfriend who believes in me when I don’t believe in myself and knows how to keep me sane with cute dog pictures and traveling.
2020-04-30