Specializes in Indian Law

Name: Vanya Hogen

Major: Political Science

Law School: University of Minnesota Law School

Description of your job: I am a partner at Faegre & Benson, LLP where I head the firm's Indian law practice. My practice consists of litigation and transactional work for tribes and businesses who deal with tribes.

Do you have any advice for students who are considering going to the same law school you did? answer

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? I really think the thing that helped me the most was having participated in high school debate. Being able to process and organize information quickly is key to success in law school.

If you had a chance to go through law school all over again, is there anything you would do differently? I would definitely participate in study groups from day 1. I didn't participate in study groups until my second year, and I really regret it--you need to bounce ideas off other people, especially when you're as clueless as a first-year law student generally is about the law.

What is it like transitioning from being a law student to being a lawyer? The main "shock" for me, having gone straight from undergrad to law school, was just transitioning into a more regimented schedule (having to be at work all day vs. studying at will), and not getting any long winter or summer holidays. The shock wore off pretty quickly, though.

Is there anything students should know about the legal profession before they decide to commit their life to it? Although I love the profession, it is a rigorous one. The stress level is high, but the intellectual challenges make it worthwhile.

Do you have any final advice? Don't go to law school just because you can't think of anything else to do with your undergraduate degree. Law school and law practice are rigorous, and I can't imagine it being worthwhile if you are not committed to using your law degree. Most of the people I know who went to law school just because they weren't sure what else to do have ended up being dissatisfied with their careers or, having left the law, wondering why they "wasted" three years of their lives in law school.