In honor of Mother鈥檚 Day, we are celebrating members of our community who balance or balanced parenthood while pursuing a legal degree!听
鈥淟aw school is not an endeavor to be taken lightly鈥攅ver. To rise to this challenge while raising children is nothing short of heroic in my view,鈥� remarked Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss. 鈥淚 am proud of our community members who have achieved so much, and I relate in a personal way having become a mother to twin boys during my time at UCLA Law.鈥澨�
Read on to learn more about some of our amazing current students and alumni who raised children while in law school!听
Kristina Konstantinovna Abdalla 鈥�24听
鈥淭he saying 鈥渢he hardest things in life bring the greatest rewards鈥� has rang true throughout my experience of having a baby in the middle of law school. It has truly been one of the more difficult experiences to balance the obligations that come with school, work, and this new life. However, after learning how to function on less sleep, I also gained invaluable skills of prioritization, efficient time management, and the 鈥渂ig-picture鈥� perspective. The Colorado Law community has made this experience that much more manageable. I am so thankful for the thoughtfulness expressed by the administration and faculty and the village of Colorado Law friends that have doubled as aunties and free babysitters!鈥� 听
Hannah Ahders 鈥�25听
鈥淚 found out I was pregnant 2 days before I got my LSAT score! Since then, I remind myself that I don't have to be just a mom or just a student. I can be both, and so much more! I love being a toddler mom and making friends with other student parents. Both school and parenting have provided great perspective that support each role symbiotically. I'm so grateful to Student Affairs, my professors, and classmates for supporting me and other student parents.鈥澨�
Susanne Holloway 鈥�17听
鈥淢y first day of law school was also my son's first day of kindergarten. The ensuing three years as both a full-time single mother to two young children and law student were much harder than I had imagined they would be, but understanding professors, clinic partners, mentors, and classmates all helped make the completion of my degree possible. While I couldn't easily attend study groups, my kids would gamely discuss water law and Federal courts with me over dinner. I realized their comprehension of due process was sound when I found them carrying out a pretend criminal trial one day, presided over by my daughter, with a small stuffed horse providing legal representation (albeit using a property law case book!) for my defendant son. Sadly, the verdict was guilty... perhaps because of ineffective counsel?听
I was so lucky to share the trials and triumphs of being a single mom in law school with three other amazing single mom/law student women 鈥� Shannon 鈥�16, Brooke 鈥�17, and Cassy 鈥�18 鈥� and am grateful to still share their friendship today.鈥澨�
Jessica Lowrey 鈥�12听
鈥淚 started law school with 3-year-old twins. I found the other student moms right away and we supported each other. It was a very different experience from the rest of my classmates. I found balance by always being home for dinner and bedtime and taking Saturdays off from studying. It was very hard but it was worth it. My boys were and are proud of me for following my passion.鈥澨�
Submit your stories for "In His Honor"
Everyone raising amazing kids deserves to be celebrated, and we are already accepting submissions for our听Father's Day article next month. Those who do not identify as听a mother or听father are enthusiastically invited to submit their stories whenever feels most comfortable using the following survey: , or send us a message at law-communications@colorado.edu.听
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