Legally Brunette: Life as a Latina Prelaw Student at NYU

Prelaw at NYU has no formal curriculum that students must abide. This is one of my favorite aspects of the program. It means students can study a wide variety of disciplines. For example, a Biology or Cinema Studies major can be considered a prelaw student. This not only pushes students to pursue fields that motivate them most but also ensures diversity in students’ academic backgrounds. Many law schools significantly value that diversity.

As an English and American Literature major, I’m required to take certain courses for my degree that develop the skills law schools search for in prospective students. This includes analytical writing, reading comprehension, research, and the humanities. In my experience, this flexibility with course selection allows students at NYU to hone in on all their unique passions and interests. What’s more, they have access to advisers that help them achieve professional growth.

NYU’s Wasserman Center for Career Development is another resource I find to be highly beneficial. Many prelaw advisers work with Wasserman to ensure internships and jobs are available to students who are interested in the legal space. The University also provides Handshake, an online student recruitment platform. Handshake posts job listings offered by a variety of businesses, corporations, and law firms across the city.

During my first year at NYU, I had the opportunity to work at an independent immigration law office just south of Times Square. This experience helped me acclimate to working in a large city and exposed me to a wide range of legal practices and techniques I may use as a lawyer in the public sector. During this time, I strengthened my verbal and written translation skills. While there, I wrote case reviews and rehearsed credible fear hearings. In addition, I learned how to build close relationships with the clients the practice represented. 

Most recently, after declaring two minors at the Stern School of Business, I decided to dive deeper into litigation and contracting. In the spring semester of my second year, I started a remote internship at Gervase Law Firm. I am tasked with drafting, revising, and translating forms and contracts that involve business entity formation. I am so incredibly grateful for all of the guidance I have received from professional and academic advisers at NYU and the mentors I have met through my internship experiences. 

While not required for law school, organizations and clubs that focus on prelaw are a great way to build community and enhance your skills outside of a classroom setting. The NYU Undergraduate Law Society is one of the largest prelaw organizations on campus. Their mission is to bring together students of varied backgrounds with a shared interest in the legal field. They have many amazing resources that students can take advantage. For example, mock LSAT exams and campus visits by admissions officers, professors, and deans from different law schools in the United States.

As a lover of legal writing, I am excited to get involved in the Undergraduate Law Review during my junior year. This organization provides a platform for the submission and discussion of law-related articles. I would love to gain more experience in writing for legal fields while also writing about the nonprofit work I have done in Texas and Arizona to promote the importance of educational access.

Throughout my time at NYU, I have had the chance to work alongside some of the most inspiring people in the legal community. In addition, the flexible curriculum has allowed me the freedom to explore many fields of law around the city to learn which one truly resonates with my passion for service.

As I get closer to graduation, I feel more confident in my ability to navigate the legal space outside of my undergraduate studies due to the advising and professional resources available to me. Similarly, through the internship work I have done in the city and beyond, I feel that the prelaw track has aided in bringing me closer to my goals and aspirations.