How UIC Law Prepared Members of the Spring Class of 2026 for Success in the Legal Field
Graduate Finds Success Beyond the Classroom with the Help of Strong Academics and Supportive Alumni Network
As Guadalupe Bustillos completes her 3L year of law school, she reflects on what brought her to UIC Law and helped connect her to experiences that extended beyond the classroom, noting that it was the law schools strong academics, supportive alumni, and premiere location that inspired her to move from Phoenix, AZ to study law in Chicago.
“I chose UIC Law because of the writing program. I know how important writing is in this field, and UIC Law requires you to learn legal writing and research every year,” she said. “The law school also had a strong network of alumni who were all so proud to say they went here and were more willing to help me find a job or be a mentor in general.”
Bustillos’s legal network began to grow after her 1L summer when she interned with the Cook County Public Defender’s Office. After she got the job, she was connected with someone within the organization to gain more insights into the role through Dean Margaret Frossard, the law school’s associate dean for Professionalism & Career Strategy. Bustillos was assigned to the multiple defendant division where she used those supreme writing skills acquired from the Lawyering Skills courses to draft motions to dismiss. She also assisted attorneys with research for cases and gained hands-on experience with how to interact with a client.
The internship also allowed Bustillos to see firsthand how prosecutors and defenders interact in court, picking up on strategies each party uses to try to help each other and the client versus attack each other as they are so often stereotyped to do in court. She also got a chance to draft her first motion to dismiss, crediting the Lawyering Skills course for improving her research and writing skills.
As Bustillos’s connections started to grow, so did her competencies, bringing forth more opportunities to versify her knowledge in the legal field. During her 2L year, Bustillos did civil ligation work for the law firm of Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge. There, she helped organize files, researched civil rights cases and torts, and helped with complaints against DCFS, medical malpractice, and nursing home cases. She found mentorship under Julie Murphy, the only female partner at the firm, and used her guidance as a model to learn from.
Further increasing her network, Bustillos served as the alumni chair for the LatinX Law Students Association (LLSA) and is a member of the Hispanic Lawyers and Attorneys (HLAI) in Illinois. Here, she was able to connect with even more alumni and became both a mentee to an alum and a mentor through LLSA for 1 and 2L students.
Bustillos credits UIC Law for her success in law school and beyond the classroom and equipping her with the skills employers value.
“UIC Law does a great job at not just understanding the basics, but how to take concepts from theoretical to practical. It provided me with a great foundation and the research and writing skills I learned really helped me to succeed,” she concluded.
Writing Program, Lawyering Skills Course, and Experiential Learning Opportunities Sets Graduate Up for Dream Path Towards the Judiciary
For Francis Olatunde Mowobi, 3L candidate for the Spring Class of 2026, it was the Writing Resource Center and the competencies acquired from the law school’s Lawyering Skills (LS) courses that catapulted his writing to the next level, ultimately aiding in his success with securing internship and externship opportunities that set him on a path towards a dream role in the judiciary.
“The writing program and LS III course were very beneficial. I have received a lot of compliments from my internships and externships for being a good writer and being able to gain experience in a moot court setting and practice appellate brief writing took my writing skills to the next level,” he said.
Mowobi spent his law school journey utilizing those supreme writing skills and learning the interworking’s of the court systems, while collecting a vast array of experience in the legal field. He interned for the City of Chicago’s law department in the constitutional and commercial litigation division, before elevating his legal experience with a judicial clerkship through the law school’s Externship Program.
Under the leadership of the Honorable Alison C. Conlon, circuit judge of Cook County, Mowobi was able to gain hands on experience writing bench memos, final orders, and was given the chance to call court.
“It was a great experience being able to see how a judge thinks and operates in their chambers and seeing the actual interworking’s of the judicial system,” he said. “It really put the idea in my mind that I want to continue this work and inspired me to try to get a judicial clerkship post-commencement.”
Mowobi’s participation in the law school’s Restorative Justice Program further fueled his passion to do work in the judiciary.
“I’m interested in public interest and learning more about how justice can be found in other alternative ways that may not be obvious, especially in criminal justice,” he said. “I want to see what more you can do with law other than being an attorney who just wants to make their billable hours.”
Mowobi currently works with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations (IDFPR), adding policy work and statutory research for pending litigation to his repertoire. Building on his interest in public interest, he helps identify workforce shortages and assists with healthcare related prosecutions.
Post-commencement, Mowobi hopes to remain with IDFPR as a law clerk while awaiting bar results, then ultimately moving forward with utilizing his well-rounded expertise to secure a judicial clerkship role.
Legal Writing and Restorative Justice Program Aid Graduates’ Goal to Dismantle School-to-Prison Pipeline
As part of her concentration in critical race and gender studies, UIC Law graduate Mitrese Smith is developing a comprehensive after-school curriculum designed to address and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. The initiative focuses on supporting students who are disproportionately impacted by systemic barriers, including students of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ youth.
The project, rooted in her broader community service initiative, “Pathways to Potential,” is designed to be implemented across a range of school environments from Chicago Public Schools to rural districts. The curriculum will provide students with resources, guidance, and structured programming aimed at steering them away from harmful systems and toward opportunity.
UIC Law played a key role in preparing Smith to bring this vision to life, incorporating various techniques and practices she explored firsthand through the Restorative Justice Program. Through other coursework and experiences, she strengthened her legal writing, advocacy, and public speaking skills. With these tools, she is now able to develop the curriculum, secure funding through grant writing, and advocate for its implementation.
“UIC Law has really enhanced my persuasive writing and communication,” she said. “That’s essential when you’re asking people to support something like this.”
During her time in law school, Smith took on multiple leadership roles, including serving as Student Bar Association president. She also helped revive the Entertainment and Sports Law Society and found success in mock trial, earning national recognition with her team.
In addition to her leadership involvement, Smith gained hands-on legal experience both inside and outside the courtroom. She externed for the Honorable Judge Nichole Patton in the Circuit Court of Cook County, where she drafted opinions and observed court proceedings, and later worked as a law clerk in her hometown, attending hearings and assisting with legal research and writing.
Through each of these experiences, Smith not only developed as a future attorney, but also gained a deeper understanding of what success means to her.
“I was constantly comparing myself to everybody else,” she said. “But finding what works for you is the most important thing. If you’re doing what’s best for yourself, you’re going to succeed.”
Looking ahead, Smith hopes to continue exploring professional avenues in education law and public policy.