Attending Harvard Law School has provided me with numerous mentorship opportunities. Clubs routinely provide mentorship pairings between students and alumni. For instance, I was paired with a lawyer at Disney through a program hosted by the Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law. Any day of the week typically features lunch events with impressive speakers ranging from CEOs to law firm partners.
Before coming to Harvard Law, I was a student at Columbia University. I remain extremely grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my education at institutions with such incredible opportunities and alumni networks. To provide others with similar educational opportunities, I have actively dedicated my time to mentoring others during my time at HLS.
On campus, I have volunteered my time as a mentor for organizations including the Women’s Law Association (WLA) while also informally mentoring 1Ls. Last fall, I spoke on a WLA panel to help provide advice on taking exams to 1Ls, and I have also been part of WLA’s Alumni and Mentorship Committee.
Beyond HLS, I also mentor aspiring law students. The law school application process is extremely difficult to navigate without pro2per advice and guidance. As the first lawyer in my family, I dedicated months to learning what law school admissions officers found important. To do this, I used platforms such as Reddit’s “lawschooladmissions” page and relied on websites such as LSData. I would read through online blogs like the Harvard Law admissions website and attend pre-law club events.
As an undergraduate at Columbia, I was privileged to be at a school with a thriving prelaw community and a top law school attached. Having exposure to students at Columbia Law School helped me understand the demands of law school and expectations for the admissions process. Moreover, Columbia had a Pre-Law Society, Undergraduate Law Review, and a Women in Law and Politics Organization. I was active in all of these organizations, serving on the boards of multiple. However, many aspiring applicants do not receive those same opportunities or exposure through their universities.
Providing an hour of advice and guidance can drastically change an aspiring applicant’s understanding of the admissions process. One often underrated aspect of law school admissions is the possibility for merit scholarships. Retaking the LSAT once can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in merit scholarships at many law schools. Moreover, various schools allow students to negotiate scholarships as long as they have a comparable or better offer from a peer institution. This can make it extremely valuable to apply to more schools rather than less, making a potential difference of thousands of dollars in tuition. This is not as relevant for schools like Harvard that do not provide merit scholarships, but it is a valuable consideration for many other schools. Some law schools provide scholarships with no restrictions, while others only provide conditional scholarships contingent on maintaining a certain GPA. However, many aspiring applicants do not necessarily learn any of this information until it’s too late.
Recognizing the barriers inherent in the legal profession, I find it especially important to share my newfound knowledge with others. Navigating the law school application process does not necessarily mean that you are an expert, but it does mean that you have something valuable to offer. Throughout my time here, I have spoken to numerous undergraduate clubs across the country at schools like UCLA and USC to share my advice on navigating the law school admissions process. I routinely provide advice on selecting a school, writing personal statements, prepping for the LSAT, and more. Simultaneously, I have volunteered some of my time to review the applications of others or to hop on calls with aspiring law school applicants. This also extends to students at other law schools — I recently had a two hour call where I edited a Northwestern 1L’s cover letter and résumé.
Take it from me — there is no better feeling than receiving a call from someone who was accepted to their dream school. It is extremely gratifying to know that you may have contributed to someone receiving a certain educational opportunity. The same applies to current students receiving job or internship opportunities they are excited about. A few hours of your time can be transformative in someone else’s life. I personally know students here who connected with me during their law school application processes, eventually experiencing the thrill of an HLS acceptance.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with law school courses, clinics, and clubs. During 1L, I remember some of my peers being stunned that I was taking the time to speak to undergraduate organizations while taking an 18 credit course load. However, one hour of your time can lead to essential information being passed on to others. I encourage my peers to actively mentor others as they continue their studies here, taking the time to speak to individuals aspiring to pursue a career in law.
Danielle Mikaelian is a 2L at Harvard Law School. She serves as the Executive Vice President of Operations for the Harvard Association for Law and Business, as well as a Managing Editor for the Journal on Sports and Entertainment Law. She graduatedfrom Columbia University with a BA in English Literature. Danielle Mikaelian has been recognized as a Huys Foundation Scholar, United Nations Millennium Fellow, and ANCA Rising Leader. At Columbia, she was named 2021 Student of the Year in recognition of her impact on campus life.