Western State College of Law is a law school with a unique and supportive community that encourages students to pursue their dreams. Standing as the oldest law school in Orange County, Western State is one of the most affordable law schools, and one of the first to offer a part-time program, in California. Here, diversity is celebrated, and family life is embraced. Few stories offer a better example of this than the journey of Krizza and Lucas Evan Huerta-Perez, a married couple balancing law school, work, and parenthood. Their inspiring journey exemplifies the strong community and support they have found here at Western State.
Two Paths to Law Unite at Western State
Krizza is currently a 3L student at Western State interested in family law, immigration law, and tort law. Her dream of pursuing law as a career began at a young age. “In high school, I shadowed three attorneys in criminal law, family law, and business law,” she said. Although she graduated with a B.S. in Psychology, her passion for law remained alive and strong. “I tried different career paths after undergrad, but ultimately, I knew I wanted to go to law school,” she shared. Lucas is a 2L at Western State with interests in real property law, contracts, wills, estates, and trusts. He had long considered law school but rediscovered his passion through his partner. “When I met KJ [Krizza], she kind of reignited that passion of ‘Let’s go do law school together,’” he said.
The couple specifically chose to go to Western State for law school. Krizza remembered her experience with the admissions team. Particularly, she recalled speaking with the Assistant Dean of Admissions, Rhonda Cohen, who made her feel welcome. “I already had in mind that I wanted to start a family while in law school. Rhonda was very welcoming and understanding and tried to get to know me, whereas other schools were just matter-of-fact. Western State had more of a family-based environment, the type of environment I wanted to be in,” she stated.
Lucas pointed out that Western State has a strong culture of support and camaraderie. “I have a core group of six friends that help each other. Being able to have that kind of companionship is nice in law school.”
Balancing Law School, Work, and Family
The couple’s law school journey has been anything but conventional. Krizza and Lucas are part-time students attending evening classes. They juggle full-time jobs at a law firm, coursework, and raising their daughter. “We work 40 hours a week, go to class in the evenings, and somehow make it all work,” Krizza said.
Their daily routine involves a lot of planning, cooperation, and compassion from both their employer and school. “Our employer is very supportive and allows us to work from home,” Krizza explained. “So we have this system,” she went on, explaining that she and Lucas take turns between working in the office and remotely at home while caring for their daughter. “By the time we get here [Western State], we set up in a study room, and have our friend come in at 6:30 pm to take care of her [their daughter]. We’ll go to class until 9:20 pm, pack up, and do it all over again the next day.”
While difficult at first, Krizza and Lucas agreed that navigating law school as a couple has strengthened their bond. “It took a while to get used to in the beginning,” Krizza admitted, recalling that she began law school one year prior to Lucas. “Once he got in, I was already pregnant. We had to balance our relationship, our home, our kid, our work, and school. It took a lot of getting used to, and we’re still learning, but this journey of going to law school together will only make us stronger.” Echoing the sentiment, Lucas stated, “If we can make it through this, I don’t think there’s much we can’t do. It shows longevity in our relationship.”
Western State’s Unmatched Support
Krizza and Lucas credit Western State’s flexibility for making it possible to withstand the challenges of raising a family while pursuing their dream. “Western State is very family-oriented. If you need something, they’re here to provide it and will do whatever it takes to make sure you have the accommodations you need,” Krizza explained. She recalled the difficulties she faced when her daughter was born two weeks early, causing her birth to clash with finals. Krizza specifically noted the support of Professors Charles Sheppard, Eunice Park, Tina Schindler, and Academic Dean Paul Arshagouni. “I relied on the support of my professors,” she shared, appreciating being offered accommodations for her finals, even though she felt capable of taking them with her classmates. “I couldn’t have done it without Western State.”
Western State provides Krizza and Lucas with a study room filled with toys and a safe space for their daughter. This allows them to focus on their classes. “We know a lot of law students who work, and a lot of law students who have kids. We don’t know of any law students who work full-time and have a kid while both parents attend law school. It’s absolutely unheard of without the big support system we have here [at Western State],” Lucas explained.
Looking Ahead and Offering Advice
After she graduates, Krizza hopes to continue working in mass tort litigation at her current firm, McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP. At the firm, she has had the opportunity to work with people affected by the California wildfires. “I’ve worked for McNicholas & McNicholas for a little over two years and over time I’ve grown passionate about helping wildfire victims and do my best as a law clerk/case manager to advocate for them,” she shared. Lucas, on the other hand, wants to start his own firm specializing in real estate, contracts, and estate law. “I’d like to get some funding together and start a firm,” he said.
Krizza is also interested in becoming a judge, noting the impressive track record of Western State alumni who have become judges. “We’ve had many students who graduated from Western State become judges. That’s something I’m interested in,” she stated.
When asked what advice they would offer to other couples balancing law school and raising a family, Krizza emphasized the importance of planning and understanding. “Have an honest conversation,” she says. “Be kind and be patient. Doing this together has strained our relationship, but once we figured it out, it only made us stronger.” She also stresses that giving each other space is essential to help prevent burnout. “You can have time to yourself and do something that benefits you and you alone,” she added.
Lucas pointed out that being open and having safeguards in place is essential to be prepared for unexpected situations where one may need childcare support. “We didn’t have a strong family support system because neither of our parents lived nearby, so we planned for everything. Set up safety nets with your family members and friends because things will go wrong. But we had fail-safes, so we were ready for it,” he explained.
Western State: A Law School That Cares
Reflecting on their journey through law school as a couple balancing law school, work, and family, Krizza summed up what makes Western State special. “Western State is a very family-oriented school. I’ve made lifelong friends who have helped me through this entire journey because we swore on our first day of ILM [Introduction to Legal Methods] that we would get through it together,” she shared. Along with friendships, Krizza also pointed out the dedication of the faculty to helping their students. “Professors want you to succeed in their classes and will do everything they can to help you pass their class and eventually pass the bar.” Lucas agreed, adding, “Knowing Western State will work with us no matter what makes us very proud to be here.”
Their journey is a testament to the strength of the community and the supportive environment fostered at Western State. It is an institution that prioritizes the well-being of its students and is dedicated to providing access to legal education for all. Whether you work full-time, are raising a family, or have other responsibilities that may make the pursuit of a legal education seem impossible, Western State is committed to assisting you and accommodating your needs. As a school of opportunity, Western State makes it possible for everyone to achieve excellence in law.