After several years of working for animal rights organizations, Kate Brindle decided to attend law school to secure better legal protections for animals. “I chose Michigan State University because of MSU's animal law offerings, specifically the Animal Legal & Historical Center and the Journal of Animal and Natural Resource Law,” Kate said. “Additionally, MSU’s capital setting offers opportunities to engage in legal advocacy and pro bono work. I also chose MSU for its clinics and public service curriculum, which provide theoretical and real-world experience.”

While Kate described her 1L experience as busy and challenging, she felt it also provided her with an ample foundation of legal knowledge to pursue summer internship opportunities. “Everyone in my section was nice and supportive, and I really feel that both the students and professors at MSU encourage a positive group learning environment where students can flourish,” she said.

Kate can’t quite name a favorite professor. “Whether it was Professor Tiffani Darden's precise explanations and helpful power point presentations, Professor Stephanie LaRose's real-world case examples, Professor Daphne O'Regan's incorporation of the classics into her lessons, Professor Sean Pager's fun and comical hypos, or Dean Elliot Spoon's in-class contests, all of my professors had different strengths that helped keep students engaged,” she said.

When Kate is not in law school, she enjoys running, stand-up comedy, theatre, reading, and baking vegan desserts. In retrospect, she wishes she would have known how much homework would be required in school so she could better budget her time. “While I had an idea of the amount of work law school entails, I don't think I really understood until I got here. I wish I would have gotten into the routine of balancing school and non-school activities better before starting my first year of law school,” she said.