As another cohort of UChicago Law grads prepares to go forth and make their mark on the world, a few members of the Class of 2026 take time to reflect on their most memorable moments from the past three years and share advice to the new students who will soon take their place.

Kassidy Mahoney: A Champion of Public Service and Pro Bono

Hometown: Joliet, IL

Next stop: Cook County Public Defender’s Office, Chicago, IL

Advice to incoming 1Ls: “You’re going to learn a lot about the law, but throughout the process, and as you go into your career, remember that you have a lot to learn about everything else. Allow your clients to define their own goals and follow their lead. Lawyers can serve an important role in supporting causes when they build relationships with community organizers, listen to those who are directly impacted by systems of oppression, and stay humble.”

Kassidy Mahoney, ’26, always knew she wanted a career that involved helping people. Her lightbulb moment to do that through lawyering came when she read the memoir Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative—which detailed the author’s work defending the marginalized, incarcerated, and wrongly condemned.

“I believe each of us has a responsibility to use whatever skills we have to help those most in need in our communities, and I knew that going to law school would give me the skills to be able to do this in the best way possible,” she said.

As a student, Mahoney did not waste any time putting her budding legal skills to use. Starting her 1L year, she sought out pro bono opportunities to help those impacted by civil rights and criminal justice issues. She got involved in organizations such as Life After Justice, the Juvenile Law Center, and the National Lawyers Guild. She spent time working in the Cook County Public Defender’s Office and in the Law School’s Civil Rights and Police Accountability Clinic.

“I couldn’t simply attend my classes and debate the meaning of justice, equality, and freedom without feeling as though such conversations call for us to use these lessons outside the classroom,” she said. “I think it’s easy for students to revert to the safety within our school’s walls and forget that there are real crises occurring outside every day. But we can’t be insulated.”

The highlight of her 2L year was a clinical experience that allowed her to interview community elders and leaders to assist in the launch of the Freedom Defense Center of Roseland, a new office with the Cook County Public Defender. “It reinforced within me the importance of authentic legal representation that centers on listening to clients’ firsthand experiences,” she said. “They are the best teachers for how systems of power directly affect our clients’ lives.”

Mahoney clocked in nearly 900 pro bono service hours in her three years as a student, more than anyone in her graduating class. Her dedication earned her the Law School’s Pro Bono Award of Excellence in May 2026.

“I think people feel as though they don’t have the time to do pro bono work while they’re in law school,” Mahoney said. “I know we have so much on our plates for our classes and in planning for our future. But I truly believe that everyone has the time to do pro bono work, and I also think that doing pro bono work is one of the ways to gain the most practical experience and do the most good while working towards a law degree.”

Coby Goldberg: Thinking Like a UChicago Lawyer

Hometown: New York City, NY

Next stop: Judicial Clerkship at the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Philadelphia, PA 

Advice to incoming 1Ls: “Go to office hours! You have free access to brilliant people who can explain thorny doctrinal questions, help you understand how to think about the law, and give you great life advice in general.” 

Coby Goldberg, ’26, came to the Law School having never read a court decision. Now he’s emerging feeling not just ready to be a lawyer, but excited to practice. It’s exactly what he was hoping for at the start of his journey three years ago: he wanted to tackle intellectually challenging questions and pursue the kind of career that would allow him to make a positive impact. Law seemed to check off those boxes, and his Law School experience confirmed that.

“I’m going to miss getting to walk into the first day of a class knowing absolutely nothing about an area of law and walking out a brief nine weeks later equipped with a range of tools for thinking about it,” he said.

Goldberg recalled his Property and Constitutional Law classes with Professor Aziz Huq and how they helped him understand the role that values play in the law: “In Property, he taught us several frameworks for thinking about how the property system works and continually pushed us to channel arguments about different areas of doctrine through those frameworks.”

The Law School also taught him the joy of close reading of a text, he said. From Professor Bridget Fahey he learned how interesting it can be to read even a very short document, like the Constitution, many times over until it speaks to you and sparks new questions to ponder. “You discover all sorts of little parts you wouldn’t notice otherwise,” he said. 

As a student, Goldberg also discovered that he enjoyed appellate brief writing, which led him to join the Jenner & Block Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic. There he worked on a Seventh Circuit direct criminal appeal in a conspiracy case during his 3L year. 

The experience was eye-opening in that it made him reflect on his legal career goals. He loved many aspects of doing appellate work, such as searching through a trial record and looking for possible legal issues to raise on an appeal. On the other hand, other aspects felt frustrating, such as reading through the trial record and second-guessing decisions that the trial lawyer made. “It left me wondering why certain pieces of evidence didn’t get in or why certain arguments weren’t made—and it made me feel like I want to be the one making those decisions,” he said.

Goldberg is headed to two clerkships after graduation. First, he will clerk for Judge Stephanos Bibas of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, then for Judge Jesse Furman of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. After that, Goldberg said he plans to explore opportunities working in government. 

Ronja Kleinholz: Exploring Every Avenue of Law School Life

Hometown: Arivaca, AZ

Next stop: Judicial Clerkship at the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago, IL

Advice to incoming 1Ls: “Take advantage of every opportunity! Law school is as fun as you make it, and you can make it the most fun three years of your life.”

Ronja Kleinholz, ’26, described her time at the Law School as “the experience of a lifetime”—and something she’d do again if she could, including 1L year. “It’s true,” she said. “I met all my best friends and had all the best experiences. I pushed myself. I learned a lot. I took risks. I allowed myself to fail and celebrated when I won.”

As a student, Kleinholz voraciously explored the Law School's many opportunities—both academic and fun—with curiosity and optimism. She was a staff writer on the student journal, Legal Forum. She was in the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic (FCJC). She was a research assistant for Professor John Rappaport, helping with his criminal law textbook that he published last year. She codirected the 2026 Law School Musical, Chilllton, after serving as an assistant director the year before for The Legal Mermaid. “I definitely think the musical was the thing I spent the most time on in law school," Kleinholz said, "but it was certainly time well spent. Hearing the audience laugh at all the jokes and applaud at all the numbers we worked so hard on was the best feeling!"

She was also active in intramural sports, from dodgeball to broomball to softball. And served on the boards of several student organizations, including the American Constitution Society, the Public Interest Law Society, and the Law Women’s Caucus.

“I’m so happy about how involved I was and all the opportunities I took advantage of,” reflected Kleinholz, who, on top of all her activities, made time to welcome and mentor 1Ls, first as an orientation leader and later as one of the Law School’s inaugural dean’s fellows. 

Kleinholz's exploration extended to the classroom. She proactively took classes in areas of the law outside of her main interest in criminal law and discovered that she enjoyed intellectual property. “Patent Law with Professor Masur was especially fun because it was so different from our other classes and something I probably wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. I did have several moments of ‘should I become a patent lawyer?’ during that class.”

But the most impactful class, she said, was her FCJC seminar. “I knew I wanted to join clinic since I applied to UChicago, but it exceeded all my expectations and was a huge reminder of how lawyers can literally change people’s lives. I got to help represent two individual clients and even argued part of a sentencing motion in front of a federal judge just a few weeks ago.”

After graduation, Kleinholz will stay in Chicago to clerk for Magistrate Judge Beth Jantz of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, then will head New York City to join Sullivan & Cromwell. 

“My time at UChicago Law has meant everything to me and I’m so thankful,” said Kleinholz. “There are a million doors open to me now that I otherwise couldn’t have even attempted to unlock.”