Hello Future Class of 2021!

My name is Darby Tingle and I am currently a 1L here at Penn Law. I am sure many of you watched or have heard by now — the Eagles are flying high after their recent Super Bowl win! The entire city of Philadelphia recently joined in celebration, but for me the celebration felt like déjà vu to just a few weeks prior.

Where I may not have received a fabulous trophy or a Justin Timberlake performance to surge my spirits, successfully completing my first semester at Penn Law felt like an equivalent feat. (Full disclosure: my mom sent me Georgetown Cupcakes after my last exam which tasted way better than a trophy, so I’m not bitter.)

The first day of classes at Penn Law was both exciting and terrifying. After three coffees and about five minutes of Professor Burbank’s Civil Procedure class, I realized I had no idea what I had actually signed up for at Penn Law. I was sitting next to amazing, intelligent people who I admired. Those people, who I am now proud to call my peers, have done astounding things like serve in the Peace Corps or armed services, made Philadelphia their home from foreign nations, or have already impacted the word for the better through an immense variety of political efforts. After the caffeine high and shock wore off, I was able to settle in. These people soon became my support system, my close friends, and my very own underdog team. Together, like every Penn Law class before us, we made it through one of the most rigorous academic challenges of our lives, 1L Fall.

I say this not to scare you away from going to law school, but to highlight that the Penn Law experience is unique. Each Penn Law class represents a team, much like mine. They are each full of incredible people and professionals, and when combined, they create a network encompassing the globe and extending well beyond the legal field. I am incredibly proud to call the Penn Law Class of 2020 my team. I hope this helps give you some insight into what I believe is one of the many amazing things about Penn Law.

Best,
Darby