Pre-Law
Open gallery
Jillian Rotman
Class of 2022 | Valley Forge, PA
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Major(s)
About
Why did you choose this law school? From the beginning of the admissions process, the admissions staff at Villanova Law made sure to personally connect with prospective students and recognize each student’s individual accomplishments and goals. During my interview and beyond, I felt like I would be a valued member of a tight-knit community at Villanova. Current students have also emphasized to me that Villanova Law is both competitive and collaborative, and students want each other to succeed. In choosing a law school, it was important for me to attend a reputable law school on the East Coast relatively close to my family and in proximity to large legal markets like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. I am also familiar with Villanova and its awesome community and school spirit, as my mom is a graduate of Villanova Nursing School! At Villanova, I also received a Dean’s Merit Scholarship which factored into my decision to ultimately attend.
Where else were you accepted? Delaware Law, Rutgers Law, Drexel Law, Penn State Law, Syracuse College of Law, Richmond Law, New England Law, Maryland (Carey) Law, Hofstra Law, Seton Hall Law, George Mason (Scalia) Law
What are your future plans (in law school and beyond)? As of right now, I am very interested in practicing family law. As an animal lover, I am also passionate about animal rights. In the future, I intend to pursue pro-bono or nonprofit work in that area of animal law. Someday I would love to live on a farm and own horses.
How has Ursinus prepared you for law school? The personal relationships I have formed with my professors, coaches, supervisors, and advisors at Ursinus were invaluable to the admissions process. With these connections that I had formed as an Ursinus student, I felt comfortable seeking letters of recommendation and advice about graduate school. I also utilized resources accessible to me at Ursinus such as my Pre-Law advisor and the Career and Post-Graduate Development Office throughout my resume writing and admissions process. Even as a first-generation law student, Ursinus helped me feel prepared for law school right out of undergrad.
How did you stay involved on campus? I was a member of the women’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams at Ursinus. I was also involved in Hillel and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. During my time at Ursinus, I also worked for the school as a teaching assistant and a note-taker.
What other interesting thing can you tell us about yourself? After completing my degree in December 2021, I have been spending my free time before law school volunteering at Ryerss Farm in Pottstown, PA. It is a nonprofit a sanctuary for aged and abused horses (and some other animals too!).
Favorite Ursinus Memory
One memorable moment during my time at Ursinus was finding out I was named a salutatorian for my class. After all of the challenges of the pandemic, remote learning, and transferring colleges after my freshman year, this accomplishment showed me that my hard work and consistency paid off. This also gave me confidence that I can handle the academic challenges that lie ahead of me in law school.