Alumni Spotlight: Sabrina van der Linden-Gonzales '19
Sabrina van der Linden-Gonzales is an associate at O’Melveny & Myers. Specializing in complex business litigation and products liability cases, she has represented a wide variety of clients, including pharmaceutical companies and financial institutions. Sabrina also has a varied pro bono practice, including reproductive rights issues and helping individuals in obtaining government assistance following natural disasters. Sabrina holds a J.D. degree from UC Irvine Law as well as an LL.B. and LL.M. degree from Leiden University in her native country of the Netherlands.
Q: How did UCI Law prepare you for your legal practice?
I felt very well-prepared. I still benefit from the excellent legal research and writing classes that UCI Law offered. Another great aspect of UCI Law is the focus on experiential learning through clinics and externships. I took full advantage of those opportunities by doing externships at a federal court and the ACLU, for instance. Not only did they allow me to develop important practical skills, I can fall back on the substantive lessons I learned in my work and pro bono practice.
Q: What do you like best about your work?
At O’Melveny, I have found great mentors and great friends. That environment allows me to grow rapidly as an attorney. Substantively, I love the variety that my work brings. I have worked on product liability cases involving medical devices, assisted a client on a matter involving a challenge to the way an athletic shoe was advertised, and I advised clients on privacy related issues. Aside from the legal issues, you learn a lot about the products at issue as well. For instance, it is important to understand how a medical device works and when it may be prescribed. It never gets dull!
Q: What was the best part about being a student at UCI Law?
The people! The faculty, the staff, and of course my classmates. When I started at UCI Law, I had only been in the U.S. for a few years and it was fun getting to know fellow students from all over the country, as well as from other countries. I enjoyed the discussions in class and learned so much from other students’ unique perspectives. I’ve made great friends at UCI and still love seeing alumni at bar events.
Q: How do you stay involved with the UCI Law community?
Right after my graduation, it was easy: I would come back to UCI for CLE events or catch up with class members during bar events. During the pandemic, I mostly kept in touch with the UCI community via Facebook groups. After that I wanted to be more deeply involved again in the UCI Law community, so I volunteered to join the reunion committee. It’s a great way to get back in touch.