Colleen Bathen: 2L and Co-President of the Women's Law Association at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law
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published June 18, 2007
Heather Jung
This summer, Bathen is externing at the San Francisco Superior Court, working in the Law and Motions Department for judges Patrick Mahoney and Peter Busch. She said she is enjoying the externship and is learning a lot.
"I review case files on pre-trial motions, conduct research, and write memoranda on the motions," Bathen said.
Before attending law school, Bathen earned her undergraduate degree in English from the University of California-Berkeley. For a few years during college, Bathen said, she wanted to be a food writer because it combined her passions for food and writing. She worked as an intern for the food editor at the Contra Costa Times. Her main job during the internship was editing a column called "Cooks & Books" that allowed readers to review cookbooks and submit reviews. While at Contra Costa Times, she also got the opportunity to write two articles and co-write one with the editor that covered topics such as her mother's cranberry sauce, eating well during college, and a restaurant opening in Berkeley.
Bathen spent some time working for San Francisco magazine, as well, where she served primarily as a fact checker, working under the research editor. She also wrote an article on a new See's candy bar, the Awesome Peanut Brittle Bar. In the end, however, she decided to pass on a career in food writing.
"I enjoyed my experiences with food writing, but I decided to change careers because I felt that I may want to reserve my interests in food for my pleasure and outside interests instead of for my career," Bathen said.
When classes resume this fall, Bathen will be the co-president of the Women's Law Association. According to Bathen, the association's goal is to "provide women at USC Law with a means by which to learn from and about fellow female law students and to learn about being a woman in the legal field." She said that participating in student organizations while in law school has very distinct advantages.
"It is a great opportunity to get to know and to learn from your fellow law students outside of the classroom," Bathen said.
Q.
What do you do for fun?
A.
Yoga and cooking.
Q.
What CD is in your CD player right now?
A.
Norah Jones' new CD, Not Too Late.
Q.
What is the last magazine you read?
A.
San Francisco Chronicle magazine.
Q.
What is your favorite TV show?
A.
Lost.
Q.
Who is your role model?
A.
My father.
Q.
What is something most people don't know about you?
A.
I ice-skated for six years.
Bathen is still in the process of deciding on the specific field she would like to work in after graduation. She is currently torn between general civil litigation and real estate transactions.
"I have formulated my ideas based on talking to people in the field and what I find most interesting in my classes," said Bathen.
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