Holly Fena

Holly Fena

What year did you graduate from the University of Minnesota, and what was your major and minor?

BA Urban Studies, Minor Business Law, 2019

What law school do you attend?

Univ. of Southern California - Gould

What year are you?

2L

Did you take time off between undergrad and law school?

No

Share one thing you wish you'd known about law school as an undergrad.

I wish I would have visualized law school as more attainable as an undergraduate. Sometimes during my undergrad, I felt like I shouldn't take academic risks like choosing an interesting but difficult research topic, because it was more risky to my GPA. This was in part because I saw law school as distant, and only attainable for students at the absolute top of the class. In reality -- many law schools appreciate calculated risk taking and going the extra distance, even if it means your GPA is a 3.87 instead of a 3.9.

How did you choose your law school?

Choosing a law school was a difficult process for me. Ultimately, I wanted to go to a school that would open doors for me in public interest work, and USC had the best clinics, professors and job placement in areas of my interest. I would recommend researching courses offered at different law schools, it can help you determine what your path might actually look like at a given school.

What advice do you have for students/recent alums as they begin the application process?

If possible, find another person who is also going through the application process that you can just talk to, and commiserate with, if necessary. It really helps to have someone to talk to that is going through the same thing. It helps you remember deadlines to have another person hold you accountable and overall makes the whole process a little less intimidating.

Share on: