Tarj Patel
1L; Admissions Ambassador
Hometown:
Fremont, CA
Professional Interests:
Education Law; Civil Rights; Criminal Law; Public Interest
Student Organizations and Extracurricular Activities:
Law Students for Educational Equity (1L Representative); National Lawyers Guild- UC Irvine Student Chapter (Board); Middle Eastern and South Asian Law Students Association; First Generation Professionals; OutLaw; Women's Law Society, Pre-Law Society x UCI Law Mentorship Program (Mentor)
Housing:
On Campus
Pro Bono Projects:
Innocence OC; Expungement Project- Orange County Clean State Clinic; Saturday Academy of Law
Meet Tarj:
I ultimately chose to attend UCI Law because of the school’s emphasis on fostering a supportive and close-knit community for its students, the service-oriented culture, and the wide variety of pro bono and experiential learning opportunities available from the moment you step foot onto campus. I’m happy to report that my experience as a student here has been nothing short of rewarding and inspiring so far! My classmates are thoughtful, intelligent, and always willing to lend a helping hand and the professors are incredibly accessible, engaging, and passionate about what they teach.
I came into law school knowing that I was interested in social justice and promoting systemic change through the law and through my involvement with student organizations and pro bono projects, I’ve been able to gain meaningful experience advocating for the causes I am most passionate about. In the process, I’ve also been able to learn about and explore different practice areas and career paths that I hadn’t even previously considered.
As a first-generation law student, I remember that the law school admissions process can be incredibly daunting at times so I’m very excited to get the chance to share more about my experiences at UCI Law with prospective students and hopefully help reduce the stress a little bit. If you’d like to hear about any of the activities I’m involved in or just chat in general, please feel free to reach out!