JD Student Spotlight - Alex Kingsley

What inspired you to pursue a career in law?

My journey to law school is just about the opposite of any first-generation or non-traditional law student. I come from a multi-generational family of attorneys, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, etc. Law was omnipresent at home. During my high school and college days, I did my best to figure out where my passions lay, in addition to figuring out my strengths and weaknesses. I am someone who doesn’t have a ton of preference, and I try to use that to my advantage.

Looking back on all of my years of education, I did my best to try as many new things as possible, which I am still committed to today. Over the years, I realized that given my lack of a clear passion or career path, law school would serve me well. I like to think I am a good reader, writer, and speaker, and those are all skills necessary for practicing as an effective attorney. What better institution or career could I apply my strengths to?

About midway through my college education, I realized law school is where I’m meant to be, and I haven’t looked back since.

Looking back to your first year, what were some of the biggest lessons you learned that shaped your law school journey?

As any reader can probably imagine—whether you are a 1L, 2L, or 3L—there are too many lessons to mention. The learning curve from work or school before law school to 1L could be the steepest of anyone’s life. Looking back, I’m still not sure of the best way to prepare for that first year.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was figuring out what study habits worked best for me. The first year, the first semester—really the first month—students scramble to find the best ways to absorb the seemingly impossible-to-understand concepts of introductory courses. Even without knowing the horrors of The Paper Chase or classes at other schools, students will try to impress one another with their (apparent) mastery of the material, copy notes from peers, stay up all night highlighting every single word of a textbook, etc.

In the end, law school prepares students to become lawyers, but there are so many other takeaways. Law school teaches students how to teach themselves, and often that’s what it takes to fully understand certain concepts. Students need to trust the process, but also be cognizant of what works for them.

If someone feels that after typing 23 pages of notes for a 15-page reading, they don’t understand a lecture any better than the guy who hasn’t opened his textbook since orientation, it might be time to try something new. If a student is completely lost during a cold call because their gray-and-white textbook is now completely yellow from all the highlighting they did the Sunday before class, it might be time to try something new.

Students need to give themselves time for trial and error, but also pay attention to what works and what doesn’t so they can be better prepared for class and exams.

Can you share a little about your experiences at the Federal Public Defender’s Office, Trenk Isabel Siddiqi & Shahdanian, and your judicial externship with Judge Jessica Allen?

Absolutely! I was lucky to be selected as a summer intern at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of New Jersey. It is a sought-after place to work and was a highly competitive process. Criminal law is a much smaller sector of legal practice than most people realize, and there is no better place to dive into that world than the Public Defender’s Office.

Public defenders have no choice (most of the time) when it comes to the clients they are assigned or the matters they litigate. That can be both a blessing and a curse. Lacking the ability to pick your clients forces you to constantly refresh yourself on the current state of the law regarding a particular issue, but your clients aren’t always the most helpful. I witnessed federal court proceedings, met with clients, and even visited jail. It was a well-rounded internship and might’ve been the most fun professional experience I’ve had to date.

My judicial externship came next, which took place last fall when I externed for The Honorable Jessica S. Allen, United States Magistrate Judge. There, I got a sneak peek into “how the sausage is made.” I would recommend at least one judicial externship to any law student so they can get a behind-the-scenes look at how justice operates. Even if a student knows they want to do transactional work, everyone should have at least some exposure to the court system.

I was able to observe a hearing, listen to the judge’s ruling, and then immediately speak with her about how she came to that decision. Knowing what a judge finds important during a proceeding will be invaluable later in a student’s career. I also conducted research, drafted orders, and applied what I learned in civil procedure to real-world work.

Lastly, I found myself in the most common environment for an attorney: a law firm. I had the fortune of working at Trenk Isabel Siddiqi & Shahdanian P.C. this past summer, which specializes in a wide range of practice areas. No assignment was the same, and for the first time in my legal career, I felt that the work I completed contributed directly to litigation.

Every law student should get some experience in a law firm. Stereotypes about law firms exist, but every one is different. As I like to say: don’t knock anything until you try it.

How did those experiences shape your perspective on the type of law you want to practice?

This is the ultimate question. And my answer is: I’m still not sure. Maybe that has to do with my lack of preference, or because I still haven’t found my calling in the law. But what I do know is that I want to litigate.

After spending my first summer in the Office of the Federal Public Defender, I realized I want to be on my feet—appearing in court, preparing for complex trials, and interacting with others as much as I can. I don’t have much experience doing transactional work, but I don’t think it is as exciting as a day in the life of a litigator.

For now, I know I will be clerking in the New Jersey Superior Court, Law Division, and hopefully after my term, I’ll have a better idea of what I want to pursue post-clerkship.

How did you secure your post-graduation law clerk position with Judge Michael A. Toto, and what excites you most about the role?

Well, of course, I followed OCS’s pathways for a post-graduation clerkship! But in all seriousness, I simply followed the checklist, and it led to securing my clerkship within weeks of the application portal opening. The pathways checklist was clear and broke everything down step-by-step—letters of recommendation, resume submission, applying to at least 15 judges, etc. I wouldn’t recommend any other way.

What excites me most is that Judge Toto is an Assignment Judge. Every vicinage in New Jersey has one, and as the most senior judge in the courthouse, Assignment Judges can preside over any matter. In addition, certain issues—such as election-related matters—can only be heard by an Assignment Judge. The opportunity to work on matters across the courthouse really excited me and motivated me to apply to his chambers.

What advice would you give to students about finding and applying for internships or clerkships?

My advice is to get this process over with as fast as you can. Employers aren’t always eager to hire, but students should start early. Be proactive. Apply to positions that aren’t even posted yet.

There is no such thing as “too early” or “on time”—there is only “too late.” Applying early means more openings, fewer applicants, and possibly more funding. More importantly, securing a job early removes a huge weight from your shoulders and allows you to focus on coursework.

Apply wide, and apply deep. You can’t get denied from something you didn’t apply to. Don’t apply to every job, but apply to every job you can see yourself doing. You never know what connections or opportunities one closed door will create.

What’s one challenge you faced during law school, and how did you overcome it?

One challenge was my performance during my first semester. I returned after winter break slightly shocked by my grades. I felt that I had worked the longest and hardest and understood more material than many of my peers. But my transcript suggested otherwise.

I was determined to right the wrongs of my first semester. As I mentioned earlier, figuring out learning methods is vital—and I needed to regroup, retool, and refocus. I hit the ground running.

You may feel you are working harder than everyone else, but the concept of diminishing returns is real. I learned it’s not about how hard you work, but how smart you work. What’s the best method for understanding class readings, absorbing lectures, retaining information?

The answers to those questions will change letter grades. Fortunately, my adjustments worked, and I followed my first semester with one of my best. Sometimes all it takes is a break and a new approach.

How have your leadership roles in student organizations contributed to your personal and professional growth?

Professionally, they taught me more about leadership than any previous experience. I’ve served in many roles: student organization member, vice president, class senator, SBA committee participant, committee chair, and now SBA Executive Board member. Through these experiences, I’ve gained a better understanding of setting goals and executing them.

Delegation, efficiency, and communication are all skills you can learn in a classroom, but you can only master them by doing. Failure is inevitable, but trial and error is the only way to grow.

Personally, leadership roles taught me about networking—networking, networking, networking. It is the “location, location, location” of law. Without it, students are at a disadvantage.

Go to as many events as possible. Meet people. Get contact information. Follow up. Law school is the easiest place to make connections because your classmates are a huge network. Say hello to someone you haven’t met. Introduce yourself to professors, staff, guest speakers.

Most of the legal jobs I secured did not come through personal family connections—they came through my own networking. Building your network now sets you up for success later.

What skills or habits have you developed at Seton Hall Law that you believe will serve you best in your career?

I know every reader is going to tear up at this one: working on the weekends. I’ve always had a strong work ethic, but I used to reserve weekends for extracurriculars. Law school changed that.

Random obligations come up during the week, and the only way to stay afloat is to get ahead on weekends. The same applies to legal practice—partners go in on weekends, or start their week on Sundays. It’s real. But doing so makes the week more manageable.

Outside of law school, what hobbies, sports, or activities do you enjoy, and how do they help you maintain balance?

Exercise—any form of it. I play basketball and weight lift when I can. Exercise is so important physiologically. Everyone should subscribe to the NFL’s Play 60 initiative, especially law students.

It’s easy to fall into a cycle of waking up, going to class, doing homework, going to bed, and repeating. Sometimes it’s just about forcing yourself to move: going to the gym, taking a walk, taking the stairs.

Right now, I’m training for the New York City Marathon later this fall. I run 4–5 times a week. If I miss one run, my training falters, and the next run is substantially harder. Long runs don’t get shorter, and missing too many makes finishing the race harder.

In the end, your brain needs breaks to avoid burnout. Exercise is the perfect “kill two birds with one stone”—you refresh your mind and stay healthy at the same time.