Career Path of a Founder and Business Attorney at Anasa Law Firm PC
Liku's path to founding Anasa Law Firm PC began at Sac State with a Communications major and involvement in campus organizations that honed networking and advocacy skills, noting the importance of "learning to be out in the world...adulting." Law school experiences included diverse internships at a small law firm, the Public Defender's office, and the DA's office, which led to the insight that criminal law "wasn't my ministry," and also included publishing academic writing, all of which shaped the experience that would inform eventually owning a law firm after working at two firms.
Law, Internships, Networking, Communication Skills, Career Path
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Liku Amadi, Esq.
Founder and Business Attorney
Anasa Law Firm PC
CSUS
Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence
Communications
Law
Legal
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Importance of extracurricular activities and networking: Liku emphasized the significance of joining programs like the Cooper Woodson College Enhancement Program, Black Student Union, and Delta Sigma Theta in developing socializing, networking, and adulting skills.
2. Value of diverse internships: Liku highlighted the benefit of interning in various legal settings, including a small law firm, the Public Defender's office, and the District Attorney's office, to gain insights into different areas of law and discover personal preferences.
3. Discovering career path through experience: Liku initially thought she wanted to be a criminal lawyer but realized it wasn't the right fit through her internships. This led her to explore other avenues like writing and research, ultimately shaping her career path towards owning her own law firm.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Do you have any internships or jobs you had before your current role?
Yes, I can. It seems like such a long time ago. When I went to Sac State, I was intent on becoming a lawyer. I majored in communication studies, just in case something changed, and I wanted to broaden my horizons. I also wanted to develop really effective advocacy, communication, and argumentation skills, which was comms number two at the time.
I joined various programs on campus. I was pretty active in the Cooper Woodson College Enhancement Program and the Black Student Union. I later became a member of Delta Sigma Theta. All of that really helped me with socializing, networking, and learning to navigate the world independently.
When I finally went to law school, I had various internships, so I was also active there. First with the Black Student Union again, I was on the ADR team, which is alternative dispute resolution, so mediation and negotiation competitions. I did that throughout law school.
I interned with someone who owned their own law firm like I do now; he had a really small practice. I interned at the Public Defender's office, where I was on the defense side and dealt with some very interesting criminal cases. Then I interned on the opposite side at the DA's office, supporting prosecutors.
I had a variety of internships, which was great for me because it allowed me to get a taste of what I wanted to do and what I didn't want to do. That was very insightful because I thought I wanted to be a criminal lawyer. While I am passionate about social justice and ensuring people are treated fairly, I saw that that just wasn't my ministry.
So I found another avenue, which was writing and research. I published my second academic writing during law school about police brutality. My first was actually at Sac State with McNair. Later, I published a third piece in a Harvard Kennedy Journal.
It was a very diverse experience and taught me how to navigate the world, but this time in a specific aspect of corporate America. I learned about the culture, the expectations, what professionalism meant, and how people interact. I was very fortunate for all of that experience, which led to me today owning my own law firm after first having worked at two other law firms. All of that factored into today.