Maria Ignacia Vasquez ’25 worked in interior design and marketing before enrolling at Fordham Law, where she was a member of the Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) and also served as president of the Fordham Cannabis Coalition, which hosted law firms from New York and New Jersey on campus to talk about cannabis law. She worked at the Housing Justice Unit in the Legal Aid Society as a Pro Bono Scholar, was a legal writing teaching assistant, and was on the staff of the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal. After graduating in May, she will be a first-year associate at Weil, Gotshal, & Manges in the firm’s litigation practice group.
What is your name and hometown?
I’m originally from Santiago, Chile, but I’ve been living in the U.S. since 2014.
What was your journey to law school?
I worked in interior design prior to law school. I was the marketing manager at a luxury showroom in NoMad. I went to The University of Notre Dame for my undergrad, I got a B.B.A. and double-majored in marketing and gender studies. I moved to New York City about a week after graduation in 2018 and haven’t looked back since. Then, COVID hit. I thought it would be a good time to focus on applying to law school and exploring that possibility in a real way. I wanted to regain agency and, ideally, build a skillset that would allow me to help people and create real impact. I had a lot of ideas of things I wanted to do, and how I thought things should be, but I had no framework or strategy that I could rely on to bring any of those ideas to life. I figured law school, if I could get accepted, would be the perfect jumping point.
Why did you choose Fordham Law?
I knew when I first applied to law school that I wanted to stay in New York City since I’d already been living here for a few years. I believed Fordham could get me where I wanted to go as a future attorney. I’d also heard a lot about competitiveness at different law schools, and while Fordham is no less competitive in that people work extremely hard to do well, there is a culture of collaboration and sharing of materials that I felt would be a good fit for me.
What events, activities or organizations were you involved in at Fordham Law?
I was a part of LALSA, which was an incredible resource and support system for me during my 1L year. My LALSA mentor, Joan Rosello ’24, was so incredibly kind and always available to help me navigate law school, job interviews, and even bar prep. The LALSA events and resources really made a difference in my experience as a student, and I loved having that community there whenever I needed it.
I was also part of the Fordham Cannabis Coalition, serving as president of the organization during my 2L year. We held educational events highlighting the historical connections between racial discrimination and criminalization of cannabis in the U.S., we had members of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management come speak to students about the rollout of cannabis legalization across the state, and we also held a Women in Cannabis event with incredible attorneys from different firms working both in the New York and in New Jersey Cannabis legal market.
I was also a legal writing teaching assistant during my 2L year which I really enjoyed, and I was a staff member at the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal.
Is there a particular professor or mentor you will remember?
Absolutely. Professor Carl Minzner got me interested in property law during my 1L year. His style of teaching was exactly what I needed during my first semester. I credit that class for my current placement at the Housing Justice Unit in the Legal Aid Society as a Pro Bono Scholar. Professor Shahshahani got me interested in civil procedure, and I have him to thank for both being prepared for the bar exam and also for my interest in litigation.
What will you be doing after graduation?
I took the bar exam in February. I am set to start as a first-year associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in the firm’s litigation practice group by fall of 2025.
What advice do you have for incoming law students?
Law school is expensive, so make sure you have a financial plan before you start school. If you have a support system in the city (friends, family, etc), make sure you lean on them when you need to (which will be a lot). Academically speaking, take the three years you have to satisfy your curiosity by taking classes that intrigue you over classes you think you should take.
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