Career Path of a Clinical Professor of Law at LMU Loyola Law School
Amy's undergraduate psychology major at UC Berkeley unexpectedly prepared Amy well for law school, as "often the students who do the best in law school are math majors," highlighting the value of strong analytical skills. Post-graduation, research work on ADHD in children and policy work in DC, coupled with Amy's focus on "writing as much as possible and getting to know professors very well," provided a solid foundation for a successful legal career despite the lack of a pre-law track.
Career Exploration, Higher Education, Law School Preparation, Psychology Background, Research Experience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Amy Levin
Clinical Professor of Law
LMU Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
University of California, Berkeley 1994
University of California, Los Angeles JD/MSW
Psychology
Education, Law
Education
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Amy majored in psychology in college and found that this background was helpful in law school, demonstrating that a pre-law major isn't necessary for success.
2. She worked as an RA on a research study about children with ADHD and did policy work in DC related to children's mental health, showcasing her diverse experiences before law school.
3. She emphasizes the importance of strong writing skills and building relationships with professors for obtaining recommendations, offering practical advice to students interested in law school.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Sure. I went to UC Berkeley for college, Go Bears! At Berkeley, I majored in psychology.
Most of my courses and activities were related to that. After college, I worked for one of my professors for about a year and a half as a research assistant. This was on a large study for children with ADHD.
I also did some policy work in DC related to children's behavioral mental healthcare. I had a very psychology-focused background. At the time, I was considering applying for both a law degree and a social work degree.
The psychology focus lent itself more to the social work degree. However, for anyone interested in law school, your undergraduate major doesn't necessarily need to be political science or pre-law. You can succeed in law school with any major.
Funny enough, math majors often do the best in law school due to their logic and straightforward thinking. As a psychology major, it worked well for me. My training involved writing as much as possible and getting to know my professors very well.
I needed recommendations for both social work school and law school. My recommendation is to write as much as possible and get to know your professors as well as possible, even if your work or internships are unrelated to law.