IL Annie Espili: Work Hard, Play Hard

<<"I decided to become a lawyer because of the prestige and professionalism that comes with the degree," she says. "You get a feeling of self-worth, plus the intellectual challenge, and the other rewards I hear aren't too bad either."

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Persian-American Espili has lived in Irvine, CA, for most of her life, although she had a brief but memorable stint living in Europe while her dad worked for the U.S. military.

"My dad has been working for the military for a long time, although as a civilian rather than active duty," she explains.

Because of this, Espili ended up attending high school in Germany after her dad got a job at the famed Ramstein Air Base.

Living in Europe made it easier for Espili to travel, so her complaints about moving away are few to none. During her time in Europe, she got to travel everywhere, from Spain to Switzerland.

"I loved living in Europe, and it will always be classified as one of the best experiences in my life, but when I came back it was the right time. European life had run its course," she admits. "It was definitely a transition for the first year back, but I was able to adapt back to the life in the states again once I was all settled."

After graduating from a high school in Germany, Espili returned without her family to the U.S. to attend college. She was accepted to the University of California, Irvine, where she received her B.A. in Criminology, Law, and Society and minored in humanities and the law. Living with roommates, she finished her schooling and kept in touch with her family, who decided to continue living overseas.

After graduation, Espili took a year off to work and apply to law schools. She was recently admitted to the University of La Verne College of Law in Ontario, CA. Although she has only been in law school for a short while, Espili feels she made the right choice in picking La Verne.

"La Verne is unique because it's small, and so it is designed for everyone to work real closely together," she says. "The school offers a lot of academic workshops and forums to make sure you are doing everything you can to stay on track and succeed."

Espili says La Verne also offers practice exams midway through the semester. Each professor writes an exam for his or her class covering what they have learned up to that point. The class takes the test on a Saturday, and it is supposed to give them a test run, no pun intended.

"It's taken on Examsoft using your laptop, it's timed, and all the rules of a final exam apply, so it's supposed to be taken real seriously," Espili explains. "This gives you an idea of what a law school exam is like and how to answer a question so you are prepared when the final comes, because you only have one shot. I don't know of any other school who offers practice exams."

Espili says she enjoys torts the most and is planning to head into criminal or family law.

"I've always liked the criminal field because there is always something new and exciting to grab your attention. It makes me want to learn more because I don't lose interest," she says. "Crime never gets old."

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Espili says her career aspirations will depend on her experience.
 

Q. What do you do for fun?

A. These days or in general? These days, fun consists of anything not having to do with the law, but in general, dancing, traveling, watching movies, shopping, eating—sleeping, for sure.

Q. What was the last song you heard on your iPod?

A. "Baby Don't Go" by Fabolous and T-Pain.

Q. What is the last magazine you read?

A. Cosmopolitan.

Q. What is your favorite TV show?

A. Desperate Housewives.

Q. Who is your role model?

A. Mom.

Q. What is something most people don't know about you?

A. I enjoy a good cry...so therapeutic.

"I will probably swing in and out of different specialties until I find one that suits me best," she says. "Working for the FBI would be ideal but probably not so much a reality right now."

As for student organizations, she plans on participating in many throughout the course of her studies, but for now she is just adjusting to her first year. Espili realizes, though, what she needs to do to maintain an edge on the competition:

"Networking is the most important. Law school is all about networking, knowing the right people who can get you in touch with the firms of your choice and open up your possibilities so you can then work your way up the ladder as you become more experienced. Friendships come second. The student associations help to build relationships with people in your same profession and see what routes everyone else is taking that might also interest you."

Espili's family has since returned to Irvine, so she now has the support of her family and friends to get her through what will be some of the hardest years of her life. Regarding the future, Espili is still wary of what lies ahead but advises her fellow first-year students to be mindful.

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"My advice would be to review at the end of each week no matter what and keep your outlines updated and extremely organized," she says. "There is way too much information to try to compress. If you don't do it slowly over the course of the semester, you won't make it."