WSU 2L Student Stephanie Koetter
I chose Western State because they were so welcoming and so inviting they were there for me every single step of the way, if I had any questions or concerns night or day I could email I could call they would get back to me right away and to me that was really important during the admissions process it’s a scary environment you’re not really sure what’s going on it was the first time I had to deal with student loans and knowing that I could contact someone and they would get back to me that same day or the very next day with the information that I needed was very comforting the admissions staff as well as thee professors and other faculty members here are just absolutely amazing they’re so warm and inviting and you really feel good and secure when you come here.
There is a lot of diversity actually. That is a big point that the student body actually tries to stress and you see it lot in the organizations we actually do have um a diversity day that the different organizations put on campus you get exposed to a lot of different cultures a lot of different types of people just anything that you could possibly think of you get exposed to it.
That is one thing that I really do like about western state I do talk to other law students at other law schools and they don’t have the cohesiveness that our student body does everybody helps each other. There is some level of competitiveness but it’s almost friendly competition it’s like hey look at what I’m doing and you can do it too, I’ll help you, I’ll show you how to do it and that’s how it is among the upper classmen as well as the lower classman um you see it throughout and I have upperclassman who come to me and ask me how I’m doing knowing that I’m in my first year and they try to help me along and give me some pointers.
Yes, professors are there for you whatever you need email them some check their email 24/7 I could email a professor at 10’o’clock at night and at 10:30 I am getting responses or replies anytime you need a professor they are always there to help you. And that that’s absolutely wonderful that’s how I made it through my first year of law school bugging my professors and they loved every minute of it and they encourage it they want you to bug them they want you to come in and talk to them you know what’s going on in your life how can I help you, and it’s just been absolutely amazing.
Law school is a very competitive place but here at Western State everybody is friends, you don’t really get the animosity that you would get between say who is ranked highest and the person who might be a couple spaces below them. Everybody really works together, they really want to do well and the professors really want to see you do well and they are so helpful and so open and I didn’t think I would find that here ‘cause usually the professors are big and scary and you don’t really want to approach them but here that that’s not the case.
Right now I am pursuing an interest in criminal law. I’m the President of the Criminal Law Association and I’m also going to become involved with, when I am able to do so, The Criminal Law Practice Center. I do want to pursue a career in criminal law. I’m also serving an internship at the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office in the Hardcore Gang Unit.