Melanie McCorkle
2L; Admissions Ambassador Executive Board - Selection, Training & Curriculum Committee
Hometown:
Thousand Oaks, CA
Professional Interests:
Juvenile Advocacy; Criminal Law; Government
Student Organizations:
Law Students for Educational Equity (Co-Chair), Public Interest Law Fund (Executive Board), Student Bar Association (Director of Career Development and Pro Bono); Women's Law Society
UCI Law Clinic:
Domestic Violence Clinic
Housing:
UCI Graduate Housing (Ask me about living on campus!)
Meet Melanie:
You know how in every reality show, the villain says, “I’m not here to make friends”? I actually did come here to make friends. After a bunch of years working at different jobs, I was so excited to come back to school to be part of a community of my favorite kind of nerds. And that’s what law school is! A lot of people who like learning and school, and who dig looking at things from different perspectives.
In addition to making friends, I came back to school because I am terrible at looking for jobs. I was consistently overqualified for the positions I applied for and took the first position I was offered without negotiating. Having the Career Development Office, with counselors on hand every day to help with resumes and cover letters and applications, has been so comforting while looking for summer jobs and thinking about post-grad plans.
While thinking about exams and assignments can get stressful, I have genuinely had such a great time at law school so far. As you know by now, the law school schedule is a huge undertaking, but it is not impossible to balance school life with other commitments and passions. Before starting school, I loved volunteering in the community, seeing drag shows, and watching every show that HBO and Netflix have to offer. I am happy to report that I still do all of those things while in law school, but I have some new people around to join me!
If you have questions about adjusting to the law school schedule, student housing, or just want to vent about your law school application process, I am absolutely happy to take a break from homework to chat!