CU Law Profiles
Alumnus
Profile
Alison Ochs
Class of 2005
Age
25
Hometown
Gillette, WY
Undergraduate Institutions and Degrees
University of Wyoming, BA in Elementary Education, May 2002
Hobbies, Sports, or Extracurricular Passions
Rodeo, rock climbing, hiking, and anything else outdoors
What were you doing before you came to the University of Colorado Law School?
I went straight through from the University of Wyoming.
What is one interesting, fun, or offbeat thing you have done in your lifetime?
I rodeo, so I went on a huge rodeo trip for the summer.
Where do you live now (e.g., Boulder, Denver, etc.)?
Boulder
Why did you choose to live there?
I didn?t want to have to commute and it is central to outdoor activities and a beautiful fun town to live in. I love going out to the Pearl Street Mall to go have some fun.
What do you like most about Boulder?
The weather is beautiful and there are tons of places to go hiking year-round.
What do you like least about Boulder?
It is super expensive.
What piece of advice would you give a student about moving to Boulder?
I live in the Boulders apartment complex in north Boulder and love it! Some people enjoy living close to campus, but I highly recommend that you avoid living on ?the hill? unless you think you can balance an undergraduate lifestyle with the rigors of a legal education.
Favorite Place To Eat Out in Boulder
The Walnut Brewery on Walnut Street
What piece of advice would you give a student about surviving being a 1L?
Study aids are great, especially High Court summaries and Examples and Explanations. Be a part of a study group, if anything it helps to talk about the new concepts being introduced to you. Try to get outlines from upperclassmen; not to use as your own, but to get an example of what an outline looks like, what information is important, and how to organize the information.
What piece of advice would you give a student about getting the most out of law school?
Go to class, do the reading, spend a lot of time on your outlines. After my first year, I found my outlines were really helpful reference tools when working on issues of contract law, tort law, etc.
What piece of advice would you give a 1L or 2L as they choose their 2L and 3L courses?
Take professors that you enjoy learning from, subjects that you are interested in (this is a good indicator of whether or not you will be good at it and it will also make it easier to pay attention), and another consideration is what is tested on the bar exam.
Why did you want to go to law school in general?
I wanted a challenging career where I could apply my love for public speaking with the opportunity to help others.
What made you decide to come to the University of Colorado School of Law specifically?
It is a beautiful campus with a great reputation in the legal community.
What do you like most about attending the University of Colorado School of Law?
In my time here, I have made some of the best friends, friends for a lifetime. The professors are wonderful; they challenge you to think about the law and the policy behind it, are passionate about their fields of study and teaching students, and are also very entertaining.
What area of law do you want to practice, and why?
I want to be a litigator, whether in the trial or appellate capacity. After my first year at law school I interned with Judge Crabtree in Adams County. From that day on, I wanted to practice law in the courtroom setting.
What piece of advice would you give a prospective student about choosing a law school?
Choose a school that is in the region where you want to practice law, provides a variety of courses, and is in a setting that you enjoy because you will be spending three years of your life there.
Did you receive any financial aid, private loans, scholarships, or fellowships, and could you describe them?
Currently I am only taking the subsidized loans. During my time at CU I have received a scholarship each year for at least $1,000. The biggest ?scholarship? I received was in-state tuition after my first year of law school because I established residency in my first year.
What advice would you give a prospective student about how to get financial aid or how to understand the system?
We have very competent financial aid advisors here at CU. Apply for scholarships and make sure to establish residency.
What first year courses did you have?
Contracts ? Lowenstein
Property ? Campos
Torts ? Schlag
Criminal Law ? White
Legal Writing & Appellate Advocacy ? G. Stafford
Civil Procedure ? Delgado
What second year courses have you taken?
Constitutional Law ? Nagel
Mining and Energy Law ? Flynn
Wills and Trusts ? Phillips
Legislation ? Campos
Evidence ? Matthew
Foundations of Natural Resource Law ? Krakoff
Criminal Procedure (Investigative) ? Reitz
Employment Discrimination ? Hart
Intersession Trial Advocacy ? Deiter
What third year courses have you taken?
Employment Law ? White
Income Tax ? Waggoner
Federal Estate and Gift Tax ? Gac
Professional Responsibility ? T. Stafford
Advanced Trial Advocacy ? Justice Rice
Criminal Law Clinic ? Deiter
Education Law ? Stueller
Seminar in Modern Legal Theory ? Schlag
Teaching Assistant for Appellate Advocacy ? Heiny
Why did you take the courses that you chose during your 2L and 3L years?
I wanted to get a broad spectrum of law, enjoyed the professors and wanted to take another class from them, or wanted specific experience from the class (like clinic and trial classes).
What was your favorite Law School class? Why?
My favorite law school class was litigation with Professor Campos. We spent a lot of time milling over Supreme Court decisions and looking at the rhetoric used by the Justices to give substance to their arguments.
What student organizations have you been involved with at the Law School?
I was President of the Women?s Law Caucus, am Lead Notes and Comments Editor on the Colorado Journal of International Law and Policy, on the Rothgerber Moot Court team, on the Carrigan Cup trial competition team, placed 2nd in the CU/DU trial cup competition, and was social chair for the Student Trial Lawyer?s Association.