Think You’ve Got a Lot to Do? We Talk to an Entrepreneurial Law School Mom!

Today’s interview is with Ciara Vesey, a multi-talented law student, mother, and entrepreneur. I have no idea how she finds the time to do everything she does, but she’s just launched a pre-law and law student advising program, which you’ll learn more about below.

Take it away!

Alison: It’s hard to imagine combining law school with being a mother, but you’ve done it. What tips do you have for other law school moms (or prelaw moms thinking about applying to law school)?

For those who are moms and thinking about law school:

I would just suggest they really think long and hard about what they want to get out of law school.

It is a significant time and financial commitment that many single persons find they cannot afford once they start. So, plenty of soul-searching and consulting with your loved ones is critical before you decide to take on law school.

Once you do decide to attend law school, making sure you can effectively manage your time is another challenge you will face.

Some days you will feel truly overwhelmed. (I have those usually twice a month!) Just knowing that it isn’t the end of the world if you can’t be everywhere and be everything to everyone is the first step in getting through.

I’m a 1L getting ready to take my next set of exams, and I’m pretty demoralized. I did okay first semester, but not great, and I’m just not sure law school is the right choice. What should I consider, as I decide whether to stick with law school and decide what to do for a career?

I generally advise my 1L mentees to really assess what they are passionate about and determine whether a law degree will be necessary to accomplish that passion.

Don’t get too down about final exams because they are not determinative of you as an individual.

At the end of the day, you are accountable for who you are, not what a piece of paper says you are. Just go into exams being as prepared as you can be, and if you still do not do well, still strive to go for your passion.

Could you talk a bit about what you were planning to do when you started law school, and how your thinking as changed (if it has) over time? What’s next for you?

When I first began law school, I knew I wanted to do corporate transactional work and maybe even securities work. That seemed to be the “right” thing to do and it was mildly interesting.

Over time, I began to focus on areas that I was more passionate about which were sports, intellectual property, and estate planning. I am currently doing a research paper on those topics that I am hoping to get published before I graduate.

What’s next for me is to really focus on my entrepreneurial efforts while still keeping some type of connection with the areas of law I enjoy.

I love to create things and figure out ways to make what I already do daily easier. I recently launched an online service (Confessions of a Law School Nobody Online) for pre-law and law students to give them essential resources and serious advising.

I focus on the mentoring and advising because I noticed that many of my peers were concerned they didn’t have anyone that really related to them or genuinely wanted to direct them in their career. This service seeks to give more support for law students.

You can check it out here: Confessions of a Law School Nobody Online.

As for being an attorney, I don’t necessarily intend on practicing law full-time but I am sure I’ll keep some sort of attachment to the field these next few years.

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Thanks, Ciara! Best of luck with the new project, and with all your post-law school endeavors.

If you’d like to find out more about Ciara, check out her website, or follow her on Twitter: @CiciLaw.

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