Departing Penn Law: Reflections from the Class of 2017

Brianna Bloodgood JD/MBE’17 shares thoughts from the 3L class on what you can take away from Penn Law and the remarkable education and experience it promises.

Congratulations to all of our admitted students! It is difficult to believe that as I write this, I am delving into my last semester of classes as a Penn Law student. I have a catalog of countless memories from the past few years, from late nights 1L year in the library and frustrations with case briefing, cold calls, outlining, memo writing, and exams, to Barristers’ Ball, barbeques in the courtyard, lunches with professors, and Friday afternoon beers at New Deck Tavern. Perhaps my favorite was celebrating my birthday right after our contracts final 1L year — we still had one more grueling exam left for the semester, yet a bunch of classmates took a break from studying and came across the street to Mad Mex for a few hours to relax and celebrate with me. No matter where you go to law school, I am sure your memories a few short years from now also will run the gamut of some of your worst and best days.

In some ways, I am envious of each of you as you make one of the most important decisions in your educational and professional career — whether or not to accept Penn Law’s offer to become a student here yourself. Less than three short years ago, my 3L colleagues and I were making the same choice. As graduation looms just a few short months away and we prepare to depart Penn Law for the start of our legal careers, I asked some of them to share their reflections. I hope their responses will give you a vivid picture of what you can take away from Penn Law and the remarkable education and experience it promises.

What is your favorite memory of law school?

One of my favorite memories is the annual Equal Justice Foundation auction. The whole school comes out to support public interest students, and it is a fun and ridiculous party.
— Martha Hanna

My favorite memory is easily the night my team won the Jesus Quintana Cup in the Penn Law Bowling League’s knock-out week after three years of nearly perfect weekly attendance #britneysparesforever.
— Chet Eckman

The perspective keepers. Although there are many, one of my favorite memories of the Law School will always be the 1L poems that then-Dean of Students Gary Clinton sent out throughout the semester to lighten the mood. Any time law school life stressors were about to peak, there was always a perfectly timed and humorous note emailed to all students to put everything back into perspective.
— Stephen DeSalvo

Fight Night.
— Andrew Patrick

Every year on a cold Thursday in January, the entire law school packs Fitts Auditorium for Penn Law’s “Keedy Cup.” At this event, four 3Ls argue a case currently pending before the Supreme Court. In total awe and admiration, I have watched my fellow classmates excel in their oral advocacy skills. That sense of pride for my peers will certainly go down as one of my favorite memories at Penn Law.
— Amarilice Young

Weekly coffee meet-ups with my dear friend, Brianna Bloodgood.
— Jamil Favors

The keg party in the courtyard after finishing first semester exams during 1L.
— Allie Gunther

To be cliché, I don’t have just one favorite memory of law school; rather, it is the little things and moments that have made my time here wonderful. I’ve enjoyed getting to know people from all across the country and world, exploring all that Philly has to offer (it is seriously an underrated city), going to sporting events, going to Penn Law events (like Fight Night and Barristers’ Ball) traveling to new places, being challenged in new ways, and finding new interests. No one moment sticks out in my mind — the entire journey does.
— Alex Aiken

What surprised you the most about being a student at Penn Law?

Independence — that is what surprised me most about being a student at Penn Law. Just to name a few examples, students here are trusted to run pro bono projects, lead small groups of Penn’s legal writing course, organize an annual charity auction for 750+ people, and even select articles for publication in our journals.
— Amarilice Young

The extra mile everyone is collectively willing to go. It has not been surprising to find that my peers at Penn Law are incredibly experienced, intelligent, diverse, and dedicated. But it was surprising to see just how collegial and down-to-earth these incredible future lawyers were capable of being. It was only after experiencing a legal education at Penn Law firsthand that I was truly able to appreciate the helping hand nearly every student is willing to lend to others and the general way in which students compete with themselves rather than their peers.
— Stephen DeSalvo

How easy it is to find yourself in a random conversation and get a good laugh almost every time you walk anywhere in the school.
— Chet Eckman

I was surprised by how invested professors were when I asked them for letters of reference for jobs. Several professors spent over an hour on the phone with me, talking through my application strategies, goals, and how they could help. This was invaluable!
— Annika Jones

The thing that surprised me most about law school was how enjoyable it could be. Before starting, I heard a lot of horror stories about how I was going to have no life and how it is an absolutely brutal amount of work. Although there were certainly dark spots in my three years at Penn Law, there were many more bright spots — from going out on the weekend with friends, to trying new restaurants, and so much more. Law school is certainly a serious undertaking, but you can also make it a fun one.
— Alex Aiken

That the three years would pass by so fast, and that I would want to take more classes than I actually could.
— Jamil Favors

What will you miss the most about Penn Law?

Living in Philly. It’s an amazing city that’s really accessible and affordable, even for students.
— Allie Gunther

Sunny afternoons sitting in the courtyard with my classmates — that is what I will miss most about Penn Law.
— Amarilice Young

I will miss heading to Mad Mex each semester after finals, for the traditional post-finals nacho celebration.
— Annika Jones

I am going to miss seeing my friends every day. A number of us are moving to New York for work, but it is obviously not going to be as easy to get together for small things like lunch or Quizzo with all of us working in different parts of the city and in different roles.
— Alex Aiken

Other than regularly seeing the friends I have gained over the past three years, I’ll really miss fall afternoons in the courtyard, listening to the fountain and chatting with anyone who walks by. Also, the squirrels.
— Chet Eckman

The family environment that came with the Law School. There is no better feeling than seeing your friends in the Goat or at the Clock during lunch or after a long day of classes.
— Jamil Favors

The small, friendly reminders that more exists than just what’s on the surface. Although I am tempted to say I will miss most the unparalleled friends and colleagues I have met here at Penn Law, I have no doubt the great relationships I’ve developed will continue to exist and grow after graduation. Instead, what I will actually miss most are the little things that we’ve all come to take for granted at Penn Law — the plethora of free food on most days; the rubber ducks that decorate the security desk when it rains; and the way the Law School is physically laid out to foster constant interaction between students, staff, and faculty, all of which demonstrate a common theme of a collegial institution filled with people who collectively act to brighten up everyone’s day.
— Stephen DeSalvo

I will miss all of the opportunities to talk to classmates and professors about current challenges facing our community, thinking about how lawyers can have an impact, and brainstorming steps that Penn Law students can take — here and now.
— Martha Hanna