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Welcome to the second season of �鶹���� Law’s “Got a Minute?” series. Like last year, we’ll find students throughout William H. Gates Hall and ask them 20 questions about their law school experience, a bit about themselves and occasionally drop in a pop quiz or two.

This week, we’re featuring Chris Lara, a first-year J.D. student.

�鶹���� Law: Are you originally from Seattle, and if not, where?

Chris Lara (CL): I'm not. I'm originally from San Jose and then my family moved up here when I was five. I live in Renton. So, I'm basically a Washingtonian at this point.

�鶹���� Law: What's one interesting fact about where you're from.

CL: We have a massive Boeing factory down south in Renton. A lot of my friends from high school, as well as their parents, have worked there. So, Boeing's always been very present in our community and in our lives.

�鶹���� Law: Where did you earn your undergraduate degree?

CL: I’m a Double Dawg, so �鶹���� as well. I double-majored in political science and history and minored in Latin American and Caribbean studies.

�鶹���� Law: Did you take time off between undergrad and law school?

CL: I did not. I graduated a year early and ended up coming straight into law school. I’ve found it's been very rewarding so far. It's definitely kept me on my feet over the last couple of years to stay on track with classes and now law school. But definitely have found it rewarding, to say the least.

�鶹���� Law: Without looking, how many glass structures are in the courtyard?

CL: Let's say four.

�鶹���� Law: Correct! What has surprised you the most about law school?

CL: In undergrad, I spent a lot of time doing the readings, understanding and participating in class, whereas now it's not as much reading, but it's more analysis. So, for example, you'll have a case that's maybe six or seven pages, but it takes you maybe an hour to read through it and be able to case brief it. And then once you're in class and get cold-called it requires a deeper level of analysis because a professor might ask something that you don't expect and that you didn't take notes on. It forces you to sort of think analytically in a way that undergrad doesn't do.

�鶹���� Law: What's one tip you would give aspiring law students about the admissions process?

CL: I would say nail down why it is you really want to go to law school. Because — to be frank — it's a big expense, and it's a big commitment you're making for three years of your life and potentially your future career. Is it a passion that you've had since you were younger? Did you meet an attorney who changed your perspective on how to give back to communities in the way being a lawyer can?

�鶹���� Law: What do you do when you need a break from studying?

CL: Nowadays, I bake and spend time with my niece, who is a little more than two and a half months old. Whenever my sister's able to stop by, it's like, let me put down the case briefs, let me put down the law books, and let me spend some time with her. It also helps to have a baby around to destress. And then I love baking, because it lets me put some time into making something delicious while also being semi-productive.

�鶹���� Law: There have been 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, when was the most recent one ratified?

CL: I’ll say 1992.

�鶹���� Law: You’re right! Well done. If you could come up with any new class at �鶹���� Law, what would it be?

CL: Just having a class where Professor Schnapper talks about his experiences in the 60s and 70s I think would be phenomenal because he was around during the political and legal evolution during that era. And I think just hearing his experiences — hearing how the law has been shaped from those times to now — would be fascinating.

�鶹���� Law: How many justices made up the first Supreme Court?

CL: I'm going to say seven.

�鶹���� Law: Six. What was something fun you did over winter break?

CL: I spent some time watching TV shows with my brother. He's been a big moral support during my law school journey. So, because I wasn't as busy, we spent some time watching television, and we watched a real estate show on Netflix called “Owning Manhattan.” It exposed us to life in Manhattan, but also what it's like working in a corporate environment like New York City.

�鶹���� Law: What area of law would you like to pursue?

CL: I'm interested in three different fields at the moment: corporate, technology and tax law. I think all three of those fields are super interesting and super innovative. I'd love to be able to explore those as I go on in my law school journey.

�鶹���� Law: What score did Elle Woods get on the LSAT in the movie “Legally Blonde”?

CL: 179?

�鶹���� Law: Correct again! What's one myth about law school that you've discovered to be untrue while being a law student?

CL: At least here at �鶹���� Law, one of the things that has been dispelled for me is the competitiveness of law school. Everybody I’ve met has been nothing but great. They've all been humble, they've all been welcoming, and they've all shown a passion and excitement to learn and be in the legal field, and that's something that I think is much more valuable than the grades that you earn or the internship that you have because building a community, first and foremost, of legal professionals that we will probably be working with for the next couple of decades is much more important.

�鶹���� Law: Which professors are listed first and last alphabetically in the �鶹���� Law online directory?

CL: You know, I've looked at the directory so much. So, Ziff is last. And is Ambrose first?

�鶹���� Law: Yes! I think you’re the first person to get that correct. If you weren’t pursuing a law degree, what would you be doing instead?

CL: Aside from running for office, which is one of the things I hope to do in the future, I think I would probably be a history professor. I love history — that's one of the things that I considered in undergrad.

�鶹���� Law: Name one lawyer that inspires you and why.

CL: I was hoping you would ask this question. I actually have three in mind, if you don't mind. The first one is Robert F. Kennedy, Sr. He is, in many ways, one of the people that I look up to and who has taught me the ways that the law and our political system can be used to help those that are underrepresented.

The second one has to be Mike Garvey because I'm a Garvey Scholar. I've seen all of the great work he's done, not just in founding Foster Garvey, but also all of the work he does to uplift students and the larger community here.

And the third one would be Professor Ramón Ortiz-Vélez. He's been a mentor and family friend for a long time, so he's one of the reasons that I chose to come to law school. And I think every single time that I think of a lawyer, I think of him because he's provided me with this outlook and guideline of what it is to be a lawyer and provide support for people that really don't have the same access to the legal field.

�鶹���� Law: Is there anyone you would like to give a shoutout to?

CL: I would love to give a shoutout to my fellow 1L reps. I always love spending time with them and seeing how passionate they are about building that community that I’ve talked about. And also, my family: my parents, my brother, my sister and my niece — and my dog as well. They provide me with so much support and so much guidance that I truly am grateful to them.

�鶹���� Law: What's one interesting thing about you that people may not know?

CL: I love to travel. I haven't really done much since the pandemic, but I hope to be able to travel a lot more this summer, visiting some family down in Mexico as well as being able to finally get to Europe and other places.