COLLEGE SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT: Mickey Witchuwong

Q1. How did you find out about CLEO?

I found out about CLEO during a DC Law School Fair at George Washington University in 2018.

Q2. When did you realize you wanted to attend law school?

I served in the military about three years ago and realized that I wanted to do something meaningful in my life that would give me a sense of purpose,and would allow me to serve my community and help an underrepresented group like myself.

Q3. What did you learn during the various CLEO programs?

My first CLEO program was CLEO Connection –the Mock Law Class session which allowed me to go extremely in depth into a legal case; then, I participated in every session of CLEO Connection which covered a variety of topics such as: LSAT Prep, Law School Admissions and Attorney Panel.They helped me to prepare and increase my chances of getting into law school.

Q4. How has the CLEO programs influenced your preparation for law school?

Besides a new knowledge that I have gained from the CLEO, the network is amazing. I have met my current boss from the CLEO Connection.He and I were a regular member of the CLEO Connection. I did not know that he was a Deputy Director in one of a federal agency that I had an interview with. After we met the first time during my third interview, we were very surprised and ended up talking more about CLEO and law school rather than a general interview question.

Q5. Select one of the CLEO programs (ASAP or CLEO Connection) you attended.What portion of that program was most beneficial to you and why?

The drafting personal statements from ASAP is the most beneficial to me. This program allowed me to receive one-on-one review from a Law School Admissions Staff. She gave me the guideline how to improve my essay and also recommended how to prepare other statements to support my law school application.

Q6. Do you plan to attend any future CLEO events?

Yes, I am very interested in attending the Pre-Law Summer Institute when I am eligible.

Q7. Do you have any advice for other aspiring lawyers?

Law school is extremely expensive and not every lawyer makes a ton of money. So, you need to make sure you do a cost/benefit analysis. If you really want to be a lawyer, you should go for it, absolutely. But you want to be realistic about how much it will cost and how many jobs are available out there. Sit down,look at how much it will cost, review the employment statistics for the schools you think you can get into, and so on.

Q8. Do you have any additional comments about CLEO?

I highly recommended the CLEO programs to everyone who is interested in going to law school because you can take advantage of opportunities to shadow, network with, or be mentored by practicing lawyers and other fellow students. Additionally, there are many good reasons to explore the law and the legal profession before entering law school.You will gain a more realistic view of the actual practice of law, the skills you will need, and the realities of the legal employment market. Thank you very much, CLEO!