Our students are bright, intellectually curious, and remarkably collegial. They come to Berkeley to experience a rich curriculum and a supportive learning environment, and to learn the law under a grading system that encourages them to compete with themselves, rather than against one another. We don’t give traditional letter grades, we don’t calculate GPAs, and we don’t rank students numerically. Miss a class, and by the end of the day, several sets of notes will probably arrive by email. Our students aren’t here to prove things, they’re here to learn things. And they’re great about sharing what they know.
Outside of the classroom, our students are extremely engaged and involved in many activities, from our Student-Initiated Law Service Projects (SLPs) and clinics, to our award-winning advocacy competition teams and student-run journals. In addition, we have more than 50 student organizations— focused on everything from entrepreneurship and privacy law to diversity and faith. Browse our student organizations list for more information. We invite you to read about the work our students are doing, below.
Student Ambassadors
Want to connect with one of our students? Our admissions ambassadors are current students who are happy to talk about their journey to law school and the student experience at Berkeley Law. You are welcome to email the ambassadors directly if you’d like to connect with them.
Want to meet with the ambassadors in an informal virtual setting? Please join us for one of our upcoming ambassador office hours. A select group of our ambassadors will introduce themselves and answer any questions you may have about their journey to law school and their experience at Berkeley Law. These sessions are open to anyone who would like to learn more about the JD student experience. You must register for a Zoom account in order to join. Office hours will not be recorded.
Marah Ajilat, 2L (she/her/hers)
Email Address: lawambassador1@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Madaba, Jordan
Prior Education: Oberlin College '21, BA in Politics
Interest Areas: Business/Start Up, International/Comparative, Technology/ IP
Ask Me About:
1) Startup Law Initiative
2) Being an international J.D. student
3) Practicing in the Bay Area
Keaton Blazer, 3L (he/him)
Email Address: lawambassador2@berkeley.edu
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Prior Education: Rice '21, BS in Bioengineering
Interest Areas: Technology/ IP
Ask Me About:
1) Careers in technology law (particularly patent and trade secret litigation),
2) L.O.V.E. (Legal Obstacles Veterans Encounter) SLP and clinics
3) IP journals and classes (e.g. Berkeley Technology Law Journal, Patent Prosecution, Patent Litigation I & II, Computer Law, Business of IP Law, Patent Remedies, etc.)
Thomas Chafin, 2L (he/him)
Email Address: lawambassador3@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Prior Education: Davidson College '18, BA in Political Science
Interest Areas: Criminal Justice, Social Justice/Public Interest
Ask Me About:
1) Moving here from the East Coast (particularly the South!)
2) Taking time between college and law school
3) Balancing one's interest in a public interest career and a career with a private law firm
Kennedy Edwards, 2L (she/her)
Email Address: lawambassador4@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Houston, TX
Prior Education: Howard University '22, BA in Political Science
Interest Areas: Constitutional/Regulatory, Environmental and Energy, Social Justice/Public Interest
Ask Me About:
1) The Law Students of African Descent (LSAD)
2) The Contra Costa Reentry Project (CORE)
3) Being a Henderson Center for Social Justice Scholar
Joyce Guo, 3L (she/her)
Email Address: lawambassador5@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Prior Education: Yale University '17 BS, Physics and English
Columbia University '21, MS in Computer Science
Interest Areas: Technology/ IP
Ask Me About:
1) My time at the New Business Clinic
2) My experience studying the intersection of technology and Law
3) Being a nontraditional law student who worked between undergrad and law school
Julia Ho-Gonzalez, 3L (she/her/hers)
Email Address: lawambassador6@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Prior Education: UCLA '19, BA in Political Science
Interest Areas: Business/Start Up
Ask Me About:
1) Building Community
2) Student Groups
3) Pro Bono/Clinic Work
Paula Gonzalez, 3L (she/her/hers)
Email Address: lawambassador7@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Waldwick, NJ
Prior Education: MIT '14, BS in Civil & Environmental Engineering
Interest Areas: Social Justice/Public Interest
Ask Me About:
1) Balancing school with extracurriculars (law journal, pro bono project, and affinity groups)
2) Law school as a STEM major
3) Law school after 7+ years in the workforce
Kelsey Lutgen, 3L (she/hers)
Email Address: lawambassador8@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Prior Education: University of Wisconsin-Madison '19, BA in Political Science, Environmental Studies, and American Indian Studies
Interest Areas: Business/Start Up, Social Justice/Public Interest
Ask Me About:
1) Opportunities for Native American and Indigenous student involvement and inclusion
2) Moving across the country and selecting a neighborhood
3) Navigating careers in Big Law
Edlene Miguel, 2L (she/her)
Email Address: lawambassador9@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Fremont, CA
Prior Education: Mary Baldwin University '16, BS in Applied Mathematics, minor in Music
University of Virginia '18, MS in Computer Science
Interest Areas: Business/Start Up, Technology/ IP
Ask Me About:
1) Going to graduate school and working before law school
2) Being part of the vibrant technology law community (Berkeley Technology Law Journal; IP Law Society; Women in Technology Law; Board of Advocates Tech & IP Team; Legal Automation Workshop SLP; Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic; being a BCLT Scholar)
3) Getting integrated into the SF Bay Area legal market
Kendrick Peterson, 3L (he/him)
Email Address: lawambassador15@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada (Military Brat)
Prior Education: University of Notre Dame '20, BA in Political Science w/minors in Business Economics and Public Policy
University of California, Berkeley '24, Masters in Public Policy (JD/MPP Dual Degree)
Interest Areas: Constitutional/Regulatory, Social Justice/Public Interest
Ask Me About:
1) Policy Advocacy Clinic
2) Trial Competition team
3) Being student body President (leadership at Berkeley Law)
Traelon T. Rodgers, 3L (he/him)
Email Address: lawambassador10@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Prior Education: Dillard University 21', BS in Urban Studies and Public Policy
Interest Areas: Constitutional/Regulatory, Criminal Justice, Social Justice/Public Interest
Ask Me About:
1) Being a student of color
2) Being a southerner
3) Social justice, constitutional, and public interest opportunities
Emma Rodriguez, 3L (they/them/ella)
Email Address: lawambassador11@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Miami, FL
Prior Education: Dartmouth College '20, BA in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Studio Art
Interest Areas: Constitutional/Regulatory, Criminal Justice, Social Justice/Public Interest
Ask Me About:
1) The Ninth Circuit Practicum
2) The grading curve
3) Women+ of Color Collective
Renée Serota, 3L (she/her/hers)
Email Address: lawambassador12@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Sonoma, California
Prior Education: UC Berkeley '21, BS in Environmental Economics and Policy
Interest Areas: Environmental and Energy
Ask Me About:
1) Environmental and Energy classes and opportunities
2) Location in Berkeley and the atmosphere/energy of the school
3) Career opportunities
Ami Shirriff, 3L (she/her)
Email Address: lawambassador13@berkeley.edu
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Prior Education: University of Toronto '17, HBSc. in Human Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Yale School of Public Health '19, MPH in Environmental Health Sciences
Interest Areas: Environmental and Energy
Ask Me About:
1) Environmental opportunities (ELQ, Environmental Law Clinic, Environmental Law Certificate, etc.)
2) Pursuing public interest
3) Coming to law school from a science background
Megan Wiener, 3L (she/her)
Email Address: lawambassador14@berkeley.edu
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Prior Education: UC Berkeley '21, Legal Studies & Psychology
Interest Areas: Business/Start Up, Technology/ IP
Ask Me About:
1) Applying Early Decision straight from undergrad
2) Being a First-Generation Law Student
3) Berkeley Law Clinics and Experiential Learning Opportunities
Student Spotlights
Berkeley Law’s student body is a community of young professionals whose passions and talents make this an incredibly vibrant place to learn the practice, purpose, and power of law for the public good. Get to know some of them below, and more here.
