A Future in Family Law
Casey Ciulla ’26 has a goal.
“I hope to use my education to protect vulnerable populations within the family court system,” she says, “and in particular, represent victims of domestic violence through divorce, parentage, and orders of protection proceedings.”
In pursuit of that mission, Ciulla spent a semester as an extern at Life Span, a nonprofit that provides services to domestic violence victims and their families.
“It helped me find the kind of law that makes me want to get up in the morning,” she says. “I really felt passionate about the work I was doing and knew I didn’t want that to end.”
Chicago-Kent College of Law has been there to support Ciulla through every step of her journey—before she even accepted the offer to attend.
“㽶ý gave me the most aid of any other law school I applied to and was my top choice when applying,” she says. “The legal writing program at Chicago-Kent looked much more rigorous compared to other law schools. As someone with a creative writing background, this really spoke to me.”
Since starting her courses, the law school has not disappointed. Ciulla describes the academics as challenging and exciting.
“㽶ý is different in that it prepares students for working after graduation more than other programs with clinical components,” she says. “I feel confident my education has prepared me for law licensure in 㽶ý.”
Ciulla’s law school experience has not been all work and no play. She has made lifelong connections with her classmates in extracurriculars, participating in Lambdas , First-Generation Law Student Association, and Art and Cultural Property Law Society. Lambdas is a group for LGBTQ+ students and those pursuing careers in that field of law.
“Lambdas was particularly meaningful to me,” she says. “As a queer woman, I was unsure of how my identity would be received within the legal community. I considered hiding my identity from my classmates and professors out of fear until I met other people like me.”