Name: Julie Sweitzer

Major: History and Political Science

LawSchool: University of Minnesota

Description of your job: I am director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action for the U of M system. We handle policy issues and problem-solving related to equal opportunity and non-discrimination, and affirmative action plans. I was in the U of M's General Counsel's office, and before that in private practice, as a litigator and employment law advisor.

Do you have any advice for students who are considering going to the same law school you did? Join one of the clinics so that you experience the practical implictions of the classroom discussions.

Is there anything in particular that you did during your undergrad that benefited you more than anything else in getting through law school and/or transitioning into the legal profession? Within Law School it was the clinic experience, but also staying active with people and programs outside the school.

If you had a chance to go through law school all over again, is there anything you would do differently? Try different areas of the law, in classes and any other experiences you can find.

Is being a lawyer what you expected it would be? Why or why not? That is NOT a short answer question! Yes, no, sometimes and maybe. Litigation was much more agressive and narrowly focused than expected. Generally having the skills of a lawyer has the broad application I hope for, but perhaps in different ways than i anticipated.

What is it like transitioning from being a law student to being a lawyer? That depends on where you work, who you are and what you did in law school. Some firms (public and private) do a great job in teaching you the practical side, most don't. It will be a jump, a leap of faith if you will - again, clinic experience helps a lot.

Is there anything students should know about the legal profession before they decide to commit their life to it? I'm not sure anything is a life commitment in professional terms anymore, but I do think that a legal education can provide professional skills that will serve you throughout your life, whether or not it is directly in the practice of law.

What does a typical day look like for you as a lawyer? In all of my jobs, only part of any day went as planned. I've always been juggling many issues, cases, calls, etc., and am prepared for the unexpected. Variety is important to me, and common to most lawyers.