Jane (Moon) Downey landed her first law firm job when she was just 18 years old, and she’s been committed to the field ever since.

Downey, who graduated from MSU College of Law in 2010, was a freshman studying political science and psychology at the University of California, San Diego when she decided she wanted to pursue a career in law. “Nobody in my family had any legal connections, so I had to venture out on my own to land a legal internship,” says Downey, who is currently the Chief Compliance Officer at ABN AMRO Clearing in Chicago.

The California native made a portfolio, complete with head shot, high school writing samples, and transcripts, and dropped it off at local law firms. To her delight, Heller Ehrman—a large international firm—hired her and kept her on all through college.

The job entailed doing “anything they gave me to do,” Downey says. “It could be removing staples from 1,000 documents or writing a brief. I really was able to get a feel for what working at a law firm meant.”

Downey had never been to the Midwest, but liked what she read and heard about MSU College of Law. “Attending the Law College was my chance to physically remove myself from my comfort zone,” she says. She sold her possessions, packed two duffel bags, and headed to East Lansing.

“I don’t think it’s adequate to say it was a culture shock,” Downey says. “But it was part of the learning process. Going to MSU College of Law was the best thing I could have done for myself.”

Downey, who participated in the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute, appreciated being at a Big Ten school once she adjusted to her new environment. “There’s a sense of community that I don’t think you get at other law schools,” she says. “The law school does a great job of making students feel that they’re a part of the Michigan State University community.”

The versatility of a law degree makes it an excellent choice for a range of career paths, Downey says. “Everything you do in life has a law behind it. You get a parking ticket, you give birth to a baby—everything has a law,” she notes. “Attorneys can use their education in so many areas of life. I would recommend law school to anyone.”