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Baranov completed his undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his B.A. in Political Science.
Currently at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, Baranov is the school's 2007-2008 law student division delegate to the American Bar Association's House of Delegates. He is also editor-in-chief of Southwestern Law School's student-run newspaper, The Commentator.
He just took on his position with the American Bar Association, so he's sure life may get a bit hectic. However, he is prepared to take whatever comes his way.
Baranov also enjoys the law school setting and what it entails.
"The discussions that arise, both inside and outside the classroom, over contentious legal issues that affect and continue to shape our state, nation, and world [are what I enjoy the most]," he said.
Baranov has gained a lot of work experience over the last few years.
"During law school, I have had three externships. During [the summer between my first year and my second year], I spent the first half of my summer with the legislative unit of the Los Angeles city attorney and the second half of my summer with [the] counsel to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa," Baranov explained. "I am externing this semester with a federal district court judge here in Los Angeles." He received his positions through connections and networking, which led to more opportunities.
Baranov said he has spent a lot of his time during law school figuring out what field of law he wants to focus on.
He also emphasized that he started out with some goals in mind.
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"The idea of working in the political-legal arena was one of the main reasons I came to law school. I've been interested in politics since AP Government in high school, if not before," he said. "I've also been interested in pursuing a career in law since the days of L.A. Law, if not before. Law school is the best place I could think of to figure out how to merge my two interests into one career."
| Q. What do you do for fun? |
| A. Fun during law school? That's funny. |
| Q. What CD is in your CD player right now, or what was the last song you heard? |
| A. A mash-up of "'03 Bonnie and Clyde" by Jay-Z/Beyonce and Toto's "Africa" by DJ Sizzahandz called "Girlfriend in Africa." |
| Q. What is the last magazine you read? |
| A. Newsweek. |
| Q. What is your favorite TV show? |
| A. Countdown with Keith Olbermann. The Colbert Report is up there, too. |
| Q. Who is your role model? |
| A. I once worked for Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota. Paul Wellstone was willing to stand up for what he believed in, no matter how unpopular his positions might have been at the time. And however much people may have disagreed with his political positions, they respected him as an advocate and as a person at the end of the day. |
| Q. What is something most people don’t know about you? |
| A. I love strawberries. |
Baranov added that joining student organizations can only be a positive for students.
"There are many benefits of getting involved in student associations while in law school. At the top of the list is the people you meet and friends you make," Baranov said. "The residual benefit from this networking is that you make connections with people in the legal world that can give you advice as you search for a job, directly help you find a job, or potentially send you work once you are a lawyer."
Baranov is anticipating a graduation date of May 2008 but said that every student has to follow his or her own routine.
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"There is no 'one way' to make it through law school. Find your own path, find the best study methods that work for you, and remember that these are the last three years you will have before you enter the 'real world,' so have fun," he emphasized.
