Stephanie Beach's family has long ties to MSU College of Law. “My grandfather and my father attended Detroit College of Law, and I valued carrying on the family tradition,” she said. On top of that, she noted that the law school’s reputation was “on the rise,” and she felt at home in East Lansing.

In Stephanie’s experience, a legal education retrains a student’s brain. But it is one thing that you can sincerely take complete credit for. There is no one to answer the essays on the exam but you. It is truly a mental and emotional battle, but the feeling of personal triumph cannot be measured.”

Classes and professors that taught Stephanie how to “think like a lawyer” were most beneficial to her current position. “The real world has nothing to do with Pennoyer v. Neff,” she said. “It was classes with practical, direct instruction that have stayed with me. I genuinely use the knowledge I gained in my contracts class on a weekly basis. I also think the seemingly overwhelming feeling of being in law school and trying to survive prepared me to handle some of the highs and lows of working in a big firm.”

At her job, Stephanie takes pride in the level of respect she has earned from her colleagues. “I work with some brilliant people, and I can pick their brain at my leisure,” she said.