Makayla Woods
2L; Admissions Ambassador
Hometown:
San Diego, CA
Professional Interests:
Labor and Employment Law; Criminal Law
Student Organizations:
Mental Health Law Society (Co-President); Black Law Student Association; Public Interest Law Fund; National Disabled Law Student Association; Movement Lawyering Group
Extracurricular:
Moot Court; Mock Trial; Lawyers of Color Ambassador
UCI Law Clinic:
Criminal Justice Clinic (Spring 2024)
Pro Bono:
California Innocence Project; Alternative Spring Break (Louisiana Public Defender's Office)
Housing:
UCI Graduate Housing (Ask me about living on campus!)
Meet Makayla:
UCI Law has taught me so much in just a year’s time. At age 8 I knew I wanted to be a lawyer and by my sophomore year in high school, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer who made the system fairer for marginalized communities. As I learned more about the field and the specific issues faced by minorities, I planned out the path to becoming a progressive prosecutor. After just one semester at UCI, the plans I had made for the last 14 years changed, or, at the very least, seemed flexible. In just one year, UCI Law exposed me to myriad aspects of the legal field, many of which I wasn’t even aware existed, and made my journey exciting again. Yes, it is great to have a plan, but at the same time, the unknown leaves more room for exploration. And that is exactly what I did. Through pro bono work, office hours with my professors, my summer job at Airbnb, and coffee chats with attorneys, I experienced different areas of the law.
UCI Law is unique in the way it promotes and prioritizes pro bono experiences for students. As a result, I was able to spend nearly 100 hours of my time during 1L year gaining real legal experience with non-profits and other public bodies that help the communities that inspired me in the first place. Further, it set me ahead of my peers at other law schools. To put things in perspective, many law schools only require students to have 50 pro bono hours by the time they graduate. A large portion of the 1L class and I have not only reached that bar but surpassed it after just one year.
I am so grateful to be spending my law school years at UCI because the staff and professors I’ve encountered have all been phenomenal and truly care about the success of their students. The UCI community, as a whole, is extremely supportive and remains a prime example that one can foster excellence without breeding toxic competition. I can’t wait to welcome more students into the UCI community and help prospective students navigate the world of law school admissions.