Mikayla Sarmento
3L; Admissions Ambassador
Hometown:
Manteca, CA
Professional Interests:
Civil Rights; Clerkship; Criminal Law; Juvenile Advocacy; Public Interest
Student Organizations:
Law Students for Educational Equity 2025-26 Co-Chair, Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, Public Interest Law Fund, UC Irvine Law Review, Research Fellow for Lawyering Skills course 2025-26
Clinic:
9th Circuit Appellate Litigation
Housing:
On-Campus
Pro Bono:
Saturday Academy of Law, Decarcerate OC Letter Writing, Domestic Violence Declarations, Alternative Spring Break Trip, Orange County Public Defender’s Office, Neighborhood Legal Services of LA
Meet Mikayla:
Hi all! My name is Mikayla and I'm a first-generation law student and daughter of immigrants who had no connections to attorneys prior to law school. During the application process, I had little guidance and found that applying to/choosing law schools was the wild wild west. UC Irvine Law Admissions Ambassadors and other members of the UC Irvine Law community provided invaluable and practical advice that ensured that my decision process was an easy one!
UC Irvine Law provides a unique environment of support, camaraderie, and genuine care for each other that is unlike any other law school. As a first-generation law student, UC Irvine Law has provided me with the community, skills, and resources that have enabled me to be successful in law school and to best position my legal career for continual growth. I especially appreciated UC Irvine Law's commitment to public interest, pro bono service, and innovation. UC Irvine Law's extensive pro bono program has allowed me to gain practical experience doing legal work while serving the communities I care about and reinforcing in-class education with hands-on experience. I have been fortunate enough to work on the Domestic Violence Declaration Project, Saturday Academy of Law, and to have spent a week in Mississippi for an Alternative Spring Break Trip with Disability Rights Mississippi.
My 1L summer I externed for the Honorable Justice Motoike of the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District, Division Three. This past summer I completed a clerkship with the Children’s Law Center of California, advocating for children in foster care.
When I am not procrastinating my readings, you can find me on a hiking trail, reading a non-school related book for fun, or taking care of my small jungle of houseplants.
As an Admission Ambassador, I look forward to connecting with prospective students and sharing my experience at UC Irvine Law to help inform their law school decision. If there is anything I can provide to help you in your decision-making process, please don't hesitate to reach out!