I am a second-generation Columbia law student. My father is a lawyer and a Columbia graduate who taught briefly at NYU and Columbia Law Schools. I grew up in New York and spent most of my life here, much of it on the Columbia campus. Predictably, I've had a fascination and ingrained respect for the study of law since my childhood and I've known since the age of 10 that I would attend law school. In spite of this seemingly preordained path, I'm not certain I want to practice law in the traditional sense. I hope to find a creative application for legal thinking and skills in the real world that best suits my interests and allows me to have a satisfying career, whatever that may be.

-- NovikaIshar - 14 Jan 2010