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Maureen Rozanski hopes to do some good with her law degree, especially for people less fortunate. |
Now in her second year at Villanova University School of Law in Pennsylvania, 24-year-old Rozanski says that she is "a passionate, hard worker" who entered law school to really make an impact on society and the people who are part of it.
"[I want to] make a positive change in someone's life and be a pillar of strength for them when they feel the world is falling apart," Rozanski says.
Rozanski is of Irish and Polish descent and grew up in Voorhees, NJ. She went to Villanova University for her undergraduate studies, where she majored in communications with a concentration in writing and rhetoric. So it's no surprise, then, that Rozanski enjoys writing persuasive briefs and oral arguments the most.
Her favorite courses so far have been Torts and Evidence. Rozanski has also
already involved herself in the law field outside of school, serving as an extern for a local judge at one point.
"I want to be in DC doing litigation, hopefully tort-related or class action lawsuits," she says of her plans for the future. "I love oral arguments and malpractice law, and class action lawsuits seem to help the underdog and make a big difference in someone's life."
Rozanski's awareness of how she could help others was solidified by an important incident that remains with her today.
"It seems silly, but the pro bono client I helped over spring break made me realize I made the right choice," she explains. "We helped a foreign day worker get a non-court-appointed translator for an arraignment, and he was almost in tears thanking us, saying that he just wanted the opportunity to challenge the charges against him."
Rozanski is involved in various student organizations. She is on the Moot Court Board, the secretary of the Islamic Law Forum, and in the Brehon Law Society. She says that the organizations offer a distraction from law school stress overall but admits that "sometimes they are more stress."
| Q. What do you do for fun? |
| A. I do yoga and go to dinner in Philadelphia. |
| Q. What CD is in your CD player right now, or what was the last song you heard? |
| A. "Golden" — Jill Scott. |
| Q. What is the last magazine you read? |
| A. Style. |
| Q. What is your favorite TV show? |
| A. Scrubs or Gossip Girl. |
| Q. Who is your role model? |
| A. My mom. |
| Q. What is something most people don't know about you? |
| A. I used to be so painfully shy when I was little that people thought I was mute or deaf. |
Her favorite law school memory so far has been being able to go to the Supreme Court to see the oral arguments.
Rozanski is planning on a May 2009 graduation date from the university.
"[Villanova] is smaller, so there is a healthy amount of competition, but people are still willing to help you if you don't understand something," she says of her experience at the school.
As far as advising her peers goes, she says that having an emotional connection to one's work is a key component.
"Make sure that law is something you are passionate about. Otherwise the long hours and hard work will break you down," she warns. "Keep the higher goals in mind, and realize that everyone is smart in law school — what separates you out is how you are going to use your passion."
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