Third-year law student Emani Marshall-Loving is well-versed in what it means to be ‘Midwest nice.’ Born and raised in Nebraska, Marshall-Loving attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before arriving at Iowa Law and spent both of her law school summers with the Minneapolis office of law firm Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.. Although Emani spent some time in England as an undergraduate, she loves everything the Midwest has to offer.
“I loved growing up in Nebraska. My childhood was filled with trips to the Henry Doorly Zoo, the College World Series,” and “Watching Husker football games.” When it came to law school, staying in the Midwest was incredibly important to Marshall-Loving: “I knew that I wanted to stay in the Midwest for law school, so I applied to mostly midwestern law schools. However, what drew me to Iowa Law and ultimately sold me was attending Admitted Students Weekend. From listening to student panels and hearing from faculty, it was clear that Iowa Law – though of course Midwestern – was unique.”
In particular, the Iowa Law alumni network was a huge draw for Marshall-Loving. “Even though I knew I wanted to stay in the Midwest for law school, I did not initially know that I wanted to practice in the Midwest. Iowa Law has alumni all over the country. Through Iowa Law’s alumni network I was confident that I could connect with and learn from attorneys both throughout the Midwest and throughout the country.”
That attention to her future career and practice, even before Emani enrolled at Iowa Law, proved to be fruitful for her in the long-run. During her 1L year Emani met with the Career Services Office for resume help and the conversation turned to locations where she should apply for jobs. “I received excellent advice that I should look at places where I have some connection and could see myself living. While my mom was born in Omaha, she grew up in Minneapolis. I spent some of my childhood summers in Minneapolis and still have family that lives in the Twin Cities. After that conversation, I drafted my cover letters for Minneapolis firms, had them reviewed by the Career Services Office, and the rest is history.”
Although Emani found a new Midwest home in Minneapolis with Fredrikson & Byron during her 1L and 2L summers, she didn’t let that job success slow down her academic and extracurricular successes at Iowa Law. During her second year, Marshall-Loving participated in Appellate Advocacy. The year-long process allows for exceptional students to continue on from Appellate Advocacy I in the fall semester to Appellate Advocacy II in the spring. “It would be an understatement to say that I was terrified about competing in four rounds of oral arguments during Appellate Advocacy II! However, while writing my brief and preparing for oral arguments, I realized that Iowa Law had equipped me with the necessary skills to excel. Participating in the Appellate Advocacy program made me more confident, prepared, and equipped to take on the legal world and my legal career.”
That confidence and preparation that Marshall-Loving has developed at Iowa Law continues to prove fruitful. After a difficult interview process, Marshall-Loving was offered – and accepted – a coveted Iowa Supreme Court clerkship, which she will begin after graduation. “Professors went above and beyond to provide me with letters of recommendation and explain to judges what I could offer to their chambers. I am more than grateful for Iowa Law’s valuable insight and help, and can’t wait to discover yet another corner of the Midwest through my clerkship in Des Moines.”
Adam R. Lorenzana is a 3L at Iowa Law. A Long Island, NY native, Adam attended Georgetown University for his BS and MA, graduating in 2014 and 2017, respectively. This past summer Adam was a summer associate with the NYC office of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, where he will return to practice corporate and transactional law upon graduation.