Lauren Faraino, '16

Lauren Faraino

Hometown:  Vestavia Hills, AL
Undergrad:  Harvard University
Undergrad major:  Government and Philosophy
Law School activities:  The Law Review; Doctoroff Business Leadership Program; Law, Inc.; Dean's Advisory Board; Corporate Lab; 2015-16 Kapnick Leadership Development Initiative facilitator

 

When Lauren Faraino was a fourth-year at Harvard and trying to decide on a law school, she came to Chicago and sat in on Professor Aziz Huq’s class.

“I can’t even remember which class it was, but he was talking about habeas corpus,” said Lauren, who had been accepted at several law schools. “About five minutes into that class, I was so impressed by the caliber of the students and by Professor Huq that I decided that this is where I wanted to be.”

That wasn’t the only positive signal she received that day. Lauren, who hadn’t been able to attend Admitted Students Weekend, knew that she and her husband would probably have to explore the Law School on their own because there weren’t any formal tours offered that day.

“But I ran into a student in the Green Lounge — I had no idea who he was — and he just offered to take us on a tour during his lunch break,” she said. “That was another sign that this was probably the right place for me.”

Immediately after her visit, she withdrew her applications to the other law schools.

Lauren first became interested in law when she was a third-year in college and taking a criminal law class that met in a prison. The next year, she took an internship at the Suffolk County (Massachusetts) District Attorney’s Office, working in the child protection and sexual assault unit.

“It was a very draining experience and I realized it was not something I could do as a career day in and day out,” she said. “But the legal side of things, the analytical work that was involved with that, was still very appealing to me.”

Since arriving at the Law School, Lauren, who grew up near Birmingham, Alabama, has particularly enjoyed being a part of the Doctoroff Business Leadership Program and having exposure to supportive Law School alumni.

“You see all these different career paths, and realize that all that is available to us,” she said.

She also felt inspired during her 1L classes, and particularly enjoyed those taught by Lior Strahilevitz, the Sidley Austin Professor of Law, and Saul Levmore, the William B. Graham Distinguished Service Professor of Law.

“It’s just an honor to hear them speak,” she said, adding that Douglas G. Baird, Harry A. Bigelow Distinguished Service Professor of Law, has also had a big impact. “I’ve had so many great interactions with him, both through Contracts class and through the Doctoroff program,” she said. “He’s one professor who has such a vision for the Law School and is supportive of the progression it is taking to incorporate more business-related activities.”

Advice for 1Ls:

“It’s hard to give advice because I think people come in and maybe listen to too much advice,” Lauren said. “You have to figure out what strategies work best for you. One thing that I learned coming straight from college is that I didn’t need to re-learn how to do most of my work. So I’d say: whatever worked for you in college, and even in your work experiences after, will probably carry through to law school.”