Student Highlight

October 2017

  • Patrick Connelly

    Patrick Connelly is in his final year at UWLA School of Law. Feeling unfulfilled after finishing his Associate's Degree, he was unsure of where to start the next chapter of his education. He sought out UWLA to satiate his thirst for knowledge. He is a critical and analytical thinker. He is able to view issues from multiple different perspectives and determine how to solve them. Patrick continually strives to better himself, and pursues knowledge of many disciplines.

    Patrick was first introduced to Legal Studies from reading the case of Lucy v. Zehmer. He was able to analyze and extract the essential principles of the case and felt elated in doing so. Despite all the self doubt and internal struggles Patrick found in him an impetus to succeed at UWLA. His success came from the plethora of knowledge he has garnered from his professors. He has achieved four Witkin Awards during his time at UWLA and strives to obtain more.

    Patrick is currently employed at UWLA and works for the School of Business. He is grateful for the opportunity to work and go to school at the same campus. In his free time Patrick plays bass guitar and studies music theory.

July 2017

  • Candice Brown

    ​​​​​​​Candice Brown is a confident, focused and self aware individual. She is not afraid of taking risks and asking tough questions. Throughout her life she has displayed a remarkable desire to lead and has had a strong determination to improve where ever there was room for improvement. As a young child she dreamed of attending law school, carrying these aspirations through high school and undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles.

    Candice had a difficult and unfulfilling transition from undergraduate at UCLA to corporate America. She found little to no enjoyment in her management roles with her former company. During that time Candice redeveloped the desire to go back to school and study law. She had been very apprehensive about starting this new chapter but with much support and encouragement from her family and friends she embarked on this new chapter. After tirelessly researching law programs, she discovered the University of West Los Angeles. Having attended such a large university for undergraduate’s school, Candice was instantly impressed with UWLA’s intimate classroom settings.

    Candice believes that the UWLA family has been instrumental in her ability to successfully complete her first year of law school. Candice feels that being able to connect with professors more closely has had a significant impact on her intellectually, socially and personally. She accredits the dedicated faculty and administrators for making her first year of law school as seamless as possible. Candice states that she was slightly intimidated to be attending law school having been out of a classroom for so many years but quickly realized that UWLA was more than just an institution, they wanted to see her do well and accomplish her goals.

    Candice is looking forward to seeking out internship opportunities in the near future. She plans to test the waters in a few different areas of law over the next couple of years. UWLA has taught Candice that with hard work and dedication any goal can be met.

March 2017

  • Shaghayegh Aboutalebi

    Shaghayegh (Shay) Aboutalebi’s life story illustrates how adversity engenders strength of character and a genuine desire to make a difference in our world. Shay and her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Iran when she was seven. The life challenges she faced on this new journey, made her a more capable and resourceful individual. From a young age, she possessed the strength that is necessary for a legal career and the willingness to stand up for what is right.  From her volunteer work in different community centers, and working for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, these and other activities heightened her social and political awareness and her understanding of public policy and law- she knew law was the field for her.
    During and after college, she pursued 3 separate internships where she assumed hands-on roles in Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, and Immigration law. She was surprised to find out that all three very well known, top 100, Los Angeles based attorney’s had one thing in common: a law Degree from UWLA. With their guidance and motivation, she officially enrolled at UWLA in Summer 2013.
    During her law school career at UWLA, Shay states she has had the pleasure of meeting some of the most aspiring, and intelligent individuals. Starting law school, she didn’t know what to expect, how the school or faculty would be. She wasn’t how to properly take notes or prepare for class. However, UWLA had a sense of family that was evident from day one. , Faculty, administration, and classmates were all extremely comforting and helpful. These relationships helped shape the next years of her law school career into an extremely successful one.
    She was fortunate to be able to land a paid internship through UWLA at one of the biggest Biomedical Companies in Los Angeles, working in their Intellectual Property department, and by graduation this upcoming June 2017 it will turn into a permanent position. Shay states that this opportunity and countless others would have not been possible if it weren’t for UWLA.
    UWLA has taught Shay that, no matter what obstacles life throws at you whether it be personal, family, business, or anything else that you may be dealing with, getting a degree will always be at your fingertips, so long as you want it bad enough.