It is hard to believe that I will be graduating from Widener Law Commonwealth in a little over two months. I echo the sentiment shared by my classmates in earlier blog posts, your time in law school will fly by. I have learned a lot about the law, obviously, and a lot about myself in the past three years. In August of 2019, when I began this journey, I was worried that law school may not be right for me.

Unlike most of my classmates, my undergraduate degree was in the sciences, specifically biochemistry. As a part of Widener’s 1L orientation you take a pass-fail course called Introduction to Legal Process. I listened to lectures and read materials on the Constitution, the three branches of Government, and so on. Topics I had not thought of or learned about since high school. I wondered if I was in over my head.

Three years later I can say that I do not regret my decision to attend law school. Frankly, I think it is one of the best decisions I could have made. There was certainly a learning curve, but there is a learning curve for all law students regardless of your background. You never know how your background may benefit you when it comes to learning the law.

I found that my laboratory experience gave me a trained eye for detail that I now use to analyze sets of facts. Also, a very important skill in the sciences is asking the right questions, which I believe is an equally important skill to have as a lawyer. Overall, I was able to use my problem-solving skills that I developed in math and science courses to solve legal problems.

Thanks to Widener’s Career Development Office I was made aware of different opportunities to combine the law and sciences. During my 1L year, I was encouraged by my professors and the Assistant Dean for Career Development to take the Patent Bar. I went out on a limb and took and thankfully passed the Patent Bar the summer after my 1L year. The following summer I worked for an intellectual property law firm and now work as a legal clerk for them. I have enjoyed the opportunity to combine my science background with what I have learned in law school by assisting with legal issues surrounding patents for a wide range of technologies.

I don’t know what I expected when I began my law school journey, but I am very happy with the ending destination. The journey by no means was simple, it was arduous and challenging. Something that has helped me along the way is to remember that it is a privilege to be in law school. Rather than viewing all the work as a burden I try to view it as an opportunity to learn, to grow, and accomplish something that will open doors for the rest of my life.

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