Nicole Karem started the year by addressing the incoming 1L class. She reminded each of them they do belong here and laid out her plans for the SBA this year. Read more about her experiences at GW Law.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What sparked your interest in law school?
I’m from Louisville, Kentucky which is, probably not coincidentally, one of my favorite places in the world. To be honest, I’ve known that I wanted to be an attorney for as long as I can remember. When I was young, my mom was a Domestic Violence Prosecutor and I told people who asked me what she did that she “put bad guys in jail.” My dad is a family law and civil litigation attorney who always taught me that practicing law requires compassion. In my mind, they were the closest thing to real life superheroes, and I wanted to be just like them. Now that I’m older, I appreciate the complexity and nuance of law and policy, and the ways they can be used to make people’s lives better. That is, ultimately, what drew me to law school.
Why did you decide on GW Law?
Although I applied to law schools around the country, I was pretty confident that I wanted to go to school in DC. It’s hard to deny the draw of going to school in a city where so many important decisions get made, and where there are dozens of free museums and monuments to visit right in your backyard. I loved the idea of an urban campus, so close to so many of the country’s greatest treasures (cheesy, and yet true). I also knew that by attending law school at GW Law I would be surrounded by other students who are as enthusiastic for the law and government as I am.
During your time here has there been a class, professor, or experience that has had a significant impact on you?
Oh man, this is a difficult question because I feel like every class and every interaction I’ve had with professors and other students has had an impact on me. I won’t go with the copout answer though. The first professor who came to mind as an answer to this question is Professor Todd Peterson. I had him for Civil Procedure, which is already not the most exciting subject, but add in taking over Zoom and it should have been impossible to pay attention in class. But he managed to make it engaging while having class virtually. More importantly, he always reminded us that we were good enough to be here, which is an important reminder for every student, but especially for 1Ls in their fall semester.
In terms of a class that has had a significant impact on me, I would have to say Professor Donald Braman’s Data Driven Criminal Justice Reform seminar class. So much about our justice system is not just at all, but it’s so big and complicated that reform can be a daunting idea. The class gave me the opportunity to learn about ways that positive change can be made in the system without having to wait for a huge overhaul bill or something similar. It also gave us the chance to work with an actual prosecutor’s office on this type of reform. It left me with a sense of hope that can sometimes be difficult to find when learning about the criminal justice system.
What's one piece of advice you would like to share with incoming students?
Remember that you are good enough to be here, and you are allowed to have fun here. Sorry, I kind of cheated and gave two pieces of advice as one sentence, but I think they’re important.
It is so easy to feel like we don’t belong in law school, especially this law school with so many other smart students, in a city where so many accomplished people live and work. But the thing is, you are also one of those accomplished people. Whether you came straight to law school from undergrad or you spent six years working or traveling before you decided on law school, you have accomplished more than you know. You belong here. You are good enough to be here.
And, you are allowed to have fun here. So much of the discourse around law school, both on law school campuses and in pop culture, is that it sucks, it’s terrible, no one should do it. Even people who are out of law school and are practicing attorneys will say things like that. But law school should be fun, especially in DC. Every day we get to go to class and learn from some of the best professors in the country. We spend our time debating the law, policy, and philosophy and talking about how we can shape the world into the one we want it to be. That is really cool and it’s really, really fun. Of course, there will be moments and days where stress takes over, and that’s okay, but please remember that you are allowed to enjoy learning about the law.
What are some of your top goals for the SBA this year?
To be honest, I really only have one goal this year, but it encompasses a lot of smaller goals. The thing that matters most to me this year is to create a sense of community. Not to say that we don’t have one, but it’s difficult to ignore the damage that a year and a half of virtual school left in its wake. Something was lost that we are still trying to get back. I want SBA to be a support structure for students, to give them a place where they know they are welcome and that they belong. We’re hoping to accomplish this through a lot of smaller things—creating a new SBA website, launching our professional clothing lending service, and lobbying for better bike safety around campus for instance—but all of those goals are working towards the larger goal of creating a community at GW Law.