Michelle Yang ’27

JD Student

Hometown
Talladega, Alabama, and Littleton, Massachusetts

Undergraduate Institution
Northeastern University

Undergraduate Major(s)
Political Science and Finance

Year of Undergraduate Graduation
2018

Area(s) of Legal Interest
Corporate Law

In terms of support and resources, what do you recommend to prospective students considering Northeastern Law?
The people here at Northeastern Law are what makes this law school a very special place to me. I'd encourage prospective students to come visit the campus in person, if they can, to experience firsthand the collaborative, community oriented and calm nature of student life here. As an older student coming back to school, I've really appreciated how accessible the faculty and staff are here, and the way in which upperclassmen immediately helped me feel like I belonged. Our student organizations are incredible communities that help to foster a deep sense of community and friendships, so checking out what student organizations exist at NUSL can also help you get a sense of the communities you can become part of here. It's an added bonus that Northeastern University was officially recognized as an arboretum in 2019. From my time as an undergraduate student here, I have always loved getting to see all the leaves change in the fall and the tulips that bloom each spring.

What extracurricular activities have you been involved with at Northeastern?
Asian-Pacific American Law Student Association; Business Law Society; First-Generation Law Association; Real Estate Law Society; Student BarAssociation; Women’s Law Caucus.

What has been your favorite part about doing co-op while at NUSL? Can you describe the experience?
At Northeastern Law, I have been able to co-op at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts (interning for a federal judge), at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's D.C. headquarters (as an SEC Legal Scholar in the Division of Investment Management's Chief Counsel's Office), and at aBigLaw firm in Boston (as a summer associate at Ropes and Gray). Co-op is the hallmark of Northeastern's model for a very good reason - it provides students with multiple opportunities to work full time, in professional settings that align with a student's interest(s) and is of the student's choosing. You'll gain firsthand experiences unavailable to many other law students and mentorships from your attorney supervisors and friendships with your colleagues that last even after your co-op ends. From my time as an undergraduate student at Northeastern, I learned that it is just as important to figure out what you don't want as it is to figure out what you do want. I came to Northeastern Law with dreams of becoming a corporate lawyer and wanting to co-op at the SEC, a BigLaw firm in Boston, and to work for a federal judge. The co-op program has allowed me to pursue all of those opportunities but also tempted me to explore so much more.