Written by: Gloria Kosir

3L Sidney Aloisi has always known she wants to help people. During her time at Iowa Law, she has held leadership positions on student organizations, edited for the Iowa Law Review, and clerked for Nestlé USA—all experiences that have led and helped her discover her passion for regulatory law.

A desire to help people

Having excelled in her high school science classes, Aloisi decided to pursue a science degree at the University of Michigan with dreams of becoming a doctor. After two years immersed in the health field, she realized her passions were leading her in a different direction—law school.

“I knew I wanted to help people. I just didn't know what that looked like at the time,” Aloisi said.

She credits her interest in law to one of her mentors in undergrad, Elizabeth Seney, a lawyer and Title IX coordinator at the University of Michigan.

“I think it just takes someone to tell you, ‘you can do this,’” Aloisi said. “I heard about all the interesting things she [Seney] does, and I was like, ‘this could be a different way I help people.’”

Aloisi graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in gender and health studies and spent the next two years recruiting for a Detroit-based law firm. It wasn’t until she started law school in 2023 that she realized how many avenues the legal field offers for meaningful work.

“Sometimes you've just got to take the jump to do something different. It's really niche, but I've found my path, and I think that’s what matters,” Aloisi said.

Putting her passions into practice

Throughout her law school career, Aloisi has prioritized what she calls intentional involvement. She looked for student organizations that could offer the most formative experiences for her path—and when they didn’t exist, she helped create them.

Initially interested in pursuing business and corporate law, Aloisi co-founded and served as the vice president of the Business and Corporate Law Society during her 1L and 2L years. After interning at Nestlé USA during her 1L summer, she found her niche: food and drug regulation.

“I liked getting into the nitty gritty of regulations and helping companies be compliant with laws that help the greater good,” Aloisi said.

She continued working with Nestlé throughout her 2L year, taking advantage of Iowa’s field placement program, which allows students to receive academic credit for qualified legal work experiences completed during law school.

“I was able to get my experiential credits by clerking and doing something meaningful,” Aloisi said. “I’ve learned so many lessons, and I feel extremely ready for the next step.”

Other experiences, including a summer internship with Keller & Heckman LLP during her 2L summer, solidified her interest in food and drug regulation.

“I like to see the impact my work has,” Aloisi said. “All the classes I've taken and all the extra miles I’ve gone through to have a clerkship seem worth it in the end.”

Giving back through mentorship

Throughout her academic and professional career, Aloisi has thrived as both a mentor and a mentee, citing those connections as defining aspects in her journey. She is currently the vice president of the student organization OWLSS, or the Organization of Women Law Students and Staff.

“OWLSS is an organization that I absolutely love because I’ve had female mentors in my life and I’ve always been surrounded by really impactful women,” Aloisi said.

She grew up in Detroit, Michigan, with her mother and older sister, whom she credits as her earliest mentors and guideposts in life.

“I've tried to give back and be a mentor for others ... I feel like sometimes you just need a role model to look to,” she said.

Those around Aloisi are inspired by her efforts. Fellow 3L student Ellie Wiesman considers Aloisi a major part of her law school experience.

“She is an incredible mentor to so many students at Iowa Law, including her peers,” Wiesman said. "Her impact on our community is felt by every student she has mentored—either formally through her involvement in mentorship programs, or informally as a friend."

Meaghan Coble, another fellow 3L and close friend, said what impresses her most about Aloisi is her generosity and unwavering support for others.

“Whether it is showing up to watch my mock trial at 7:30 a.m. on a rainy, cold Saturday; sending encouraging texts to her friends and mentees; or surprising me with a coffee or a sweet treat when I’m having a rough day, Sidney somehow manages to put others first despite juggling so many things,” Coble said.

When asked what advice she would offer to future Iowa Law students, Aloisi emphasized the importance of following your own journey with confidence.

“Don’t be afraid to change your mind or pick something [a specialty] that’s different from everybody else,” Aloisi said. “It just means that you’re doing something that you really love and that you’re making your own path.”