We selected a few members of the 1L class to highlight in order to provide a sense of the breadth of experiences and interests incoming students bring with them to Minnesota Law.

JESSICA BONTEMPS, 1L

Jessica Bontemps, a first-generation college student in her family, has a B.A. in English language and literature from Hunter College. Prior to enrolling in law school, she served as tutor, coach, and mentor to at-risk youth in New York City. 

“As a first-generation college student, having the opportunity to pursue a legal education meant having doors open for me that otherwise might not have been,” she says. “I look forward to having more opportunities to advance in my career and my education.”She plans to pursue public policy work to help improve the public education system.

She plans to pursue public policy work to help improve the public education system.

FABIOLA GRETZINGER, 1L

Fabiola Gretzinger hails from San Jose, Costa Rica. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, she works part-time as a paralegal at Igbanugo Partners, an immigration law firm in Minneapolis. Last spring, she graduated with a B.A. in political science, and minors in economics and Portuguese.

Describing her paralegal work, Gretzinger observes, “It’s some of the most rewarding work I have ever done, and I love it because it keeps me on my feet. Although it’s very difficult to lose a case, I’ve discovered my passion to do everything humanly possible to help someone who may not be able to help themselves.”

She says she wants to use her legal education to “make an impact and give a voice to those who can’t.”

LOIDA GUAJARDO, 1L

With a B.S. in biology, health and medical sciences from Minnesota State University Moorhead, Loida Guajardo wants to put her STEM background to work in the dynamic field of intellectual property law. While she considers herself generally reserved, she volunteered to speak at her commencement to allow her classmates to know how much they had contributed to her personal development.

Explaining how she decided to transition from a path to the lab to a path to law, she observes, “the professor of my medical ethics class pushed me to explore where healthcare, health science, and the law overlapped. I have always been interested in healthcare innovation. Earning a J.D. allows me to be a cog in that process in a way I cannot achieve with my STEM background alone.”

She hopes to one day work at a Twin Cities law firm with a strong IP practice. 

MATT JACOBS, 1L

In addition to being an aspiring lawyer, Matt Jacobs is a budding entrepreneur. A graduate of the University of Oregon with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and Spanish and a master’s in philosophy, he owns Mad Genius Escape Rooms in Portland, Oregon. He also spent five years working as a brewer.“

Working as a brewer for five years taught me the value of legal representation for workers seeking safe working conditions and remedy for wage theft,” he says. “Owning an escape room underscored the value of legal expertise from the opposite perspective, demonstrating that compliance with employment law can be challenging even for employers who prioritize it.”

His goal is to use his legal education to pursue work that enforces and amplifies protections for workers.

DANIEL RADDENBACH, 1L

Daniel Raddenbach, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, last spring interned at the U.S. embassy in London. He plans to study international law and hopes to put his legal education to work in foreign policy. 

“I had a great opportunity to see foreign policy in action while interning for the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom,” he says. “I think that the study of law meshes very well with diplomatic work— they both approach problems with a very analytical mindset, and foreign policy is heavily involved with navigating international law, which I hope to study here at Minnesota.”

His ambition is to start out practicing law, possibly in Washington, D.C., and eventually to transition to working for the U.S. State Department as a foreign service officer serving in embassies overseas.

KELLY ZECH, 1L

Kelly Zech served as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy specializing in operations for six years. Most recently, she served as a stay-at-home mom managing three children for seven years. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, where she obtained dual degrees in management information systems and entrepreneurial management.

“Navy life and mom life both require sleep management, organization, adaptability, and patience,” she says. “Being a stay-at-home mom is rewarding but all-consuming. I learned to seek out personal growth opportunities, and as such, I love the mental challenge of being in the classroom. My kids motivate me to work hard and be focused.”

She is currently contemplating eventually practicing business law, but is open to letting her law school experiences direct her ultimate career path .

Meet the 2020 LL.M. Class

The 2020 LL.M. class includes about 50 students from more than 15 countries across the globe. The following are brief profiles of two of these students.

YU-CHEN WANG, LL.M. ’20 TAIWAN 

Yu-Chen Wang is a Taiwanese public interest lawyer who received his bachelor’s and master’s legal degrees from National Taipei University. His work as a lawyer involved helping child victims in abuse and rape cases. His thesis on child witnesses’ hearsay evidence involved researching the U.S. legal system, which, in turn, triggered a desire to study in the United States. “As a lawyer from a code-based country, I hope to gain further insight into how to analyze, present, and solve legal issues from a common-law perspective,” Wang says. “I also hope to create a global career and build up my professional network through Minnesota Law.”

SEOWOO JANG, LL.M. ’20 SOUTH KOREA 

Seowoo Jang hails from South Korea, where she studied some aspects of American law and developed an interest in it. She served as a legal research assistant at the American Law Research Institute. She has also tutored immigrant children and their parents, providing them with legal assistance. “I chose Minnesota Law because when I researched programs, that seemed appealing to me,” she says. “I found out that Minnesota Law provides various activities for LL.M. students, such as LL.M. judicial observation, a mentorship program, and optional concentrations. Besides taking classes, I thought these activities would help me expand my U.S. legal knowledge.”