Kaiya Daniels
2L; Admissions Ambassador
Hometown:
Moreno Valley, CA
Professional Interests:
Litigation; Appellate Law; Labor and Employment Law
Student Organizations:
Black Law Student Association (Secretary); Women’s Law Society; First Generation Professionals Program
Extracurricular:
Law Review
UCI Law Clinic:
Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic - Press Freedom Project
Pro Bono:
Clean Slate Clinic
Housing:
UCI Graduate Housing (Ask me about living on campus!)
Meet Kaiya:
I believe that the culture at UCI is what makes our school unique. As a first-generation law student, it was important that the law school I chose fostered a supportive environment. Navigating the process of choosing a law school can be very overwhelming, because I had no idea what to expect. Before law school, I believed it would be difficult to form relationships because it would be an intimidating and competitive environment, but that is so far from the truth at UCI. I love the people here because we all want to see each other win. Faculty and staff make efforts to let their students know that they are here to answer any questions we have and completely support us in our professional career. My first year of law school was the first time that I took advantage of the opportunity to connect with faculty and it is one of the best experiences I’ve had at the law school.
Contributing to the law school culture by participating in student organizations and pro bono projects have been incredibly rewarding experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with clients and work on expunging their records for future employment opportunities and overall better life quality. Since law school is such a small community, you have the opportunity to really see the impact of the contributions you make and earn meaningful connections with clients and attorneys in the process.
It's also a plus that I love Irvine! The beach is literally 15 minutes away from school and it's always worth the trip. Eureka and Mendocino farms have become some of my favorite places to eat with my friends. It’s extremely important during your first year of law school to take whatever free time you have and schedule your friends in. Even if it's just for an hour for lunch or a phone call, I found that those little moments were what I needed to rejuvenate myself. It is absolutely a challenging journey, but it is nothing short of rewarding.