Megan Dowden ’25
Megan Dowden ’25
JD Student
Hometown
Rutherford, New Jersey
Undergraduate Institution
Fordham University
Undergraduate Major(s)
History, Political Science
Year of Undergraduate Graduation
2022
Area(s) of Legal Interest
Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution
What kind of support and resources do you find most helpful for prospective students considering Northeastern Law?
I find the tour and talking to current students to be the most helpful. Prospective students can get their questions answered and hear about the different opportunities students have had while being at Northeastern Law. I also think it is helpful to take a close look at the programs and clinics offered at the school.
What extracurricular activities have you been involved with at Northeastern Law?
If/When/How, Northeastern University Law Review
What has been your favorite part about doing co-op while at Northeastern Law?
My favorite part of doing a co-op was the one-on-one discussions I had with my supervisors. They were always there to answer any questions and provide insight into how the legal system works. Their experience and feedback were invaluable as I continued to develop my skills on co-op.
Megan's Journal
My Favorite Law School Classes
1. Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) was incredibly interesting to me because many people picture the legal system as being very adversarial. This class demonstrated how, not only is this not true, but there are multiple alternatives that sometimes better serve the client and their needs. We learned about different types of ADR such as mediation, negotiation and arbitration. We were also able to do exercises to become familiar with and grow these practical skills. Whereas a lot of law school classes are about learning what we will later put into practice, it was fun and exciting to be able to try it out for ourselves and begin to apply what we had been learning about.
2. Federal Indian Law
Another class I really enjoyed at NUSL was called Federal Indian Law. I had learned about small portions of this topic in some of my other classes but had not had the time to understand the development of this body of law or the extent to which it affects indigenous people in our country today. In the class we discussed the unique challenges the tribes and their members face due to their unique legal status, and the bias against them in this country and legal system. In addition, we also learned about some aspects of indigenous cultures and how rich their tradition and sense of community is and has always been. This class was one of my favorites because it involved so many different types of lawthat are changing and developing even todayin our highest courts. For example, the Supreme Court decided a case involving the Indian Child Welfare Act as recently as 2023.
3. Corporations
Before this class, the extent of my business law knowledge was limited. While I would sometimes hear stories in the news about big companies and their boards voting on critical issues, I had no depth of knowledge on the legal implications of these and other business practices. This class explained how businesses function and the responsibilities and regulations that different types of businesses face. I enjoyed this class so much because I was quickly able to recognize how the concepts we learned were applied by big companies that many of us interact with frequently. This class taught me a lot about business law and has also allowed me to be a much better-informed consumer.
4. Family Law
I am interested in going into family law, and this class helped me explore the wide variety of topics this area of law covers. Family law is unique because it often involves making decisions about how people will live their everyday lives. It is also incredibly interesting to see how family law reflects society’s views as they change, develop and lead to continuously evolving case law. I also was a research assistant with this professor, which gave me even more insight into not only a specific topic, but also the way some of the policies are shaped. Family law is so important because the lawyer can have an enormous impact on their client’s lives, and this class helped show me that this is what I want to pursue after law school.