Career Path of an Alternate Public Defender at Los Angeles County
Rachel's undergraduate experience at the University of Buffalo, majoring in English, involved jobs unrelated to law, "just jobs to make money," although work for a news publication provided some communication experience. Legal-focused internships and clerkships began in law school, significantly influenced by Rachel's upbringing with a public defender as a parent, leading to their current role as an Alternate Public Defender in Los Angeles County.
Legal, Public Service, Internships, Career Path, Higher Education
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Rachel Cala
Alternate Public Defender
Los Angeles County
University at Buffalo
Pepperdine Law -- Juris Doctorate
English
Government & Public Sector, Law
Legal
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Rachel majored in English in undergrad, illustrating that diverse academic backgrounds can lead to a law career.
2. She initially held unrelated jobs to fund her education, highlighting the common path of pursuing diverse experiences before specializing.
3. Her upbringing by a public defender and subsequent legal internships in law school significantly influenced her career path, showcasing the importance of mentorship and early exposure to the field.
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?
When I was an undergrad at the University at Buffalo, I majored in English. My jobs then were not connected to what I'm doing now; they were just jobs to make money.
However, I did work for a news publication. This work involved human beings and communications, but it wasn't until I got to law school that I started doing legal-based internships and clerkships. I was raised by a public defender, so I had already been indoctrinated at that point.
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