When I immigrated to the United States from the Philippines, I became a translator for my parents as they navigated daily life. Shame, a byproduct of navigating a new life with a language barrier and lack of legal aid in our community at the time, burdened them. Even as a 10 year old, I could feel my parents’ bruised pride—and knew that helping people navigate processes similar to those my family went through was something I wanted to do in the future. In my family, I am the first lawyer and the first to attend graduate school.
As a 2L, I interned as a senior clinician for Michigan Law’s Community Enterprise Clinic under Professor Dana Thompson, ’99. I knew then that I wanted to work with startups. Through that experience, I serviced clients who aimed to revitalize their communities, ranging from undergraduate start-up entrepreneurs to business owners in Detroit. Working with people building something from nothing in the hopes of giving back was inspiring and served as a reminder of why the legal field interested me in the first place.
A common thread throughout my time at Michigan Law and various legal work experiences was the West Coast; it’s where I felt I needed to be, and the Michigan name made it easy to return. I worked with the Office of Career Planning to research different firms, and Perkins Coie stood out. It was the first firm where I spoke with several Filipino partners, a refreshing and motivating rarity. I finally saw myself in people with similar career paths to the one I wanted. I received an offer after the Law School’s on-campus interviewing process. Now I work as an emerging companies and venture capital associate at the firm, and I’m always looking to help recruit more people with similar backgrounds.
The University of Michigan’s reputation and “Go Blue!” chant carries far, especially in the Bay Area. The wide range of clients and colleagues I meet sets the area apart in terms of places to pursue legal work. I’m exposed to every industry—health care technology, climate technology, biotechnology, retail, food, entertainment, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency—and at the cutting edge witnessing it all unfold.
