By Luis Tobar
At the end of August, 2024, the new class of 70 JDO students, myself included, gathered at CSU|Law for our first residency weekend. The weekend was a great mix of serious learning and networking. I met an array of people from many walks of life, from police officers who walk a beat to people who mostly work behind a desk, which is something currently foreign to me.
There was definitely a wide swath of humanity represented in the JDO program, and I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people. It was an exciting weekend where I was finally able to put faces to names I have been emailing for months.
From the professors to alumni, I met people I do not normally get an opportunity to interact with. I always wonder if people are pulled to jobs by destiny or preference or if end up being molded by their jobs. Mr. Plumber who owns a plumbing company. That sort of thing.
Stepping into my first law school class was exhilarating; then, being able to see the judiciary in motion by observing an actual appeal made me feel like I made the right choice in not only pursuing a law degree but also choosing CSU Law.
But amid a weekend of new experiences, I found myself slipping into old habits. As soon as I got to the classroom for our first live class, I went right to the back of the room. The familiar setting that I slid into like a pair of well-worn jeans. This was an opportunity to be different, but I fell into the same bad habit.
Observing has always been one of my favorite things to do, but you can’t see the happenings when sitting in the front row. Truth be told, I get paid to be vigilant and observe—it's funny that we sometimes find ourselves exactly where we are meant to be.
However, law school, and more specifically this residency weekend, is about something different. I applied to law school to pioneer a new path for myself. This weekend was a chance to be social in a professional setting, to get to know professors and alumni, to experience a law school classroom. Sitting in the back keeps me apart.
I won't be able to blaze a new path while maintaining old habits. I get the genuine feeling from staff and alum alike that they want all of us to be successful. Even the appeals court judges with their different approaches wanted to help us learn.
This was an invaluable experience, but only the first steps. I faltered a bit, but I will come back better. Everything helped, from the alumni dinner to showing us how to login into WestLaw. Learn Law Live Justice. Lofty ideals I hope to strive for. I think I'll sit up front next time… or at least somewhere in the middle.