Alumni On How Lex Prepared Them for Harvard Law School
Our team recently had the pleasure of interviewing a Lex alumna, Camille Brunetti, who will be attending Harvard Law School, Class of 2025.
Camille Brunetti
Lex Program:
Madrid, Spain in Summer 2019
Law School:
Harvard Law School, Class of 2025
Undergraduate:
Wellesley College, Class of 2020
Can you describe Lex in three words?
“Informative. Fun. Different.”
Can you tell us about your undergraduate activities?
“I was a part of residential life at my college, both as Resident Assistant and eventually House President. Additionally, I volunteered with an after-school program as a transportation coordinator and counselor. I found that the content of your activities and what you achieve for an organization matters much more than the types of activities you are involved in as an undergraduate. For me personally, I was able to talk about leading a team of Resident Assistants and creating a vibrant community [in my law school applications], which is a lot more meaningful than just saying I was a member of a pre-law society where I didn’t have any responsibilities. My advice is to take on an activity and stick with it throughout college. Law schools are looking for those who can take on a bit of adversity and follow through with challenges.”
Did Lex impact your law school applications?
“After I graduated college, I waited for two years before applying to law schools; I took the LSAT one year out from graduation and then applied to law schools a year after that. Lex was definitely on my resume that I submitted with each application. I applied to 13 law schools, and was accepted to eight, including Harvard Law which I will be attending in Fall 2022.
“Every law school has different requirements. One of them required a recorded interview, and because I’m very interested in international law, immigration, and international intellectual property laws, and because I got the most exposure to those topics through Lex, I definitely talked about my experience during that part of the application process. For example, I still remember one of the firms we visited during my Lex program was an intellectual property firm and they just finished a case defending the singer Shakira against someone's claims. They were really proud and excited to tell us about it, and that was super interesting. It was such a great day on the program.
“My personal statement was about things other than Lex, but having Lex on my resume lent some credence to my claims that I had interest in international law. Additionally, going to a Lex program in Spain allowed me to continue to use my Spanish, which I also used in my paralegal job after Lex as well.”
Why did you choose Lex?
“I chose Lex for three reasons. First, I wanted to continue using my Spanish and try it out in a professional setting. Second, I wanted to see lawyers in action, the real day-to-day of what that looked like to be sure that law was right for me. Third, my abroad semester ended in late June and I had to be back on campus in early August, so Lex was the only internship-type opportunity that fit my timeline and was still very relevant to my career.”
What was your favorite experience as a Lex participant?
“I loved getting to meet so many people interested in law from different perspectives and backgrounds. I had met lots of people interested in law at my college, but they were cut from the same cloth, so to speak. During Lex, I was surrounded by fellow students who were all interested in law, but from different colleges, places, and backgrounds. It was an experience that reassured and reaffirmed my interest in law, and the people I got to be with on the program have become some of my closest friends.”
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time meeting lawyers & visiting firms?
“During the firm visits, we talked about real cases in a way that I don’t think I'll do again until I'm in law school classes. We covered so many different types of cases, and the attorneys had such great insight. They showed us their true day-to-day, and what it is really like to look into cases. What I found interesting is that the content of cases is the same, even abroad, and it’s just the application that might be slightly different based on the country. Being able to talk about actual cases was so meaningful and helpful.”
How has Lex helped equip you for the future?
“Lex has helped me in a very material way; by having that experience on my resume, Lex helped me get a paralegal job that subsequently helped me get into Harvard Law School. It showed my interest in law in a very concrete way, especially because I wasn't involved in a lot of pre-law organizations during undergrad. In a very straightforward way, Lex gave me a taste of what law would look like by shadowing all types of the lawyers, and because our Legal Associate was fantastic. We got a taste of what law school and classes would really be like from her. It was really reassuring to see that I enjoy this kind of interaction and I feel good about doing it as my career.”
How has Lex equipped you for active leadership in the legal field?
“I feel like having an international legal experience is very different from what my peers have been able to explore on their own in the U.S. Lex gave me a tasting menu of different law fields and cases, so that now, even before starting law school, I’m familiar with their existence and what I'm looking to explore further. I think I have an advantage in that way, because I’m on a playing field that I have already seen. Getting that legal context before applying to law school definitely set me on a firm foundation.”
Any advice to pre-law students considering Lex?
“The Lex program is great, especially if you have any international interest. I did Lex to be sure I wanted to apply to law school. After Lex is when I signed up for an LSAT class and started putting my law school applications together. If you are wondering a) what kind of law should I pursue, and b) If I want to do law at all, Lex is really excellent for that. Also, finding people who share your interests is really important and meaningful. Lex was different from any other experience I have had.”