Kiyannah Joyner, a 2L Weekend Student, shares her inspiring journey to pursuing law. With a profound passion for diversity in law, she excels in scholarship and self-exploration. Now, securing a Summer Associate position at McGuireWoods, she's poised to make her mark in corporate law, driven by resilience and dedication.
Why did you decide to attend law school?
I always knew I wanted to become a lawyer even though at times it felt like an unrealistic goal because of my challenging background. As an African American woman who transcended the foster care system to become the first in my family line to attend college and law school, my journey has been one of defying expectations. I attribute this to my adopted parents who instilled the belief in me that I could accomplish anything through hard work and dedication despite adversity. My thirteen-year career in public service exposed me to the influential role lawyers play within public agencies. I observed firsthand how critical legal advice and counsel are for guiding the decisions of agency leaders and corporate executives towards realizing strategic objectives. As a result, it became clear that I could make a bigger impact in an organization and society at large by obtaining a law degree. Additionally, the underrepresentation of lawyers of color in the legal field underscored for me the importance of diversity in the legal profession. Organizations benefit when there are people from diverse backgrounds, as it not only enriches the workplace environment but also brings forth a wealth of unique perspectives. Therefore, I am pleased that after I graduate and pass the bar, I will have the opportunity to contribute to an organization in this meaningful way.
How has your experience been in law school?
My experience in law school has been a constant journey of scholarship and self- exploration. Before starting law school, I prepared by reading some books written about law student experiences and watching the fun movie, Paper Chase. From the very first day of law school, I was impressed by the caliber of the students and the discourse around the material. Each semester I am faced with new challenges and complicated subject matter taught by passionate professors who are experts in their fields. I expected law school to be difficult, however, I knew that I would do my best. Therefore, if I was unsuccessful, I would know it was not due to a lack of trying. I have found the law school experience to be incredibly demanding and deeply rewarding.
What have you enjoyed the most in law school and why?
What I enjoy the most about law school are the diverse subjects I get to explore. When I am studying, I immerse myself in that subject and dive deep into the cases. Every week presents a new piece of the puzzle. Then at the end of a semester, it all comes together, and I have a comprehensive understanding of the material.
Tell us about your experience working with NYS Ex. What type of work did you do and for what agency or agencies?
After working in banking in both operations and as a teller in high school through college, I began a career working for a Fortune 500 Insurance company in personal injury. This was my first close collaboration with attorneys, including both in-house and plaintiff's counsel. Despite enjoying insurance work, I left after several years to meet the demands of caring for my elderly parents without leaving New York State. Following advice from my father, a retired state correctional officer, I took a civil service exam, securing a position at the New York State Department of Labor within the Unemployment Insurance Division. There, I adjudicated unemployment claims according to regulations and made determinations regarding disputes between employees and employers. I also worked on the Self Employment Assistance Program which aided unemployed entrepreneurs in starting businesses.
After earning a master's degree in business, I joined the Office of the New York State Comptroller, where I audited state agencies and third-party vendors. I reviewed contracts and financial transactions for fraud, waste, and abuse. Using my insurance experience, one of my audits uncovered over $200 million in findings, an achievement that led me to present directly to the Comptroller.
Yet, my most significant contributions came as the leader of the Audit, Internal Controls, and Compliance teams at the New York State Division of the Budget. There, I managed the Federal Single Audit for New York State, achieving a more than 70% reduction in statewide audit findings. Prior to COVID, I successfully developed and executed statewide audit and internal control policies. Then, once the COVID crises began, I was also tasked with overseeing the teams that allocated and disbursed the unprecedented Federal COVID funding to New York State agencies. My teams developed New York State's Central Grants Management System, a crucial step in centralizing the pandemic response and ensuring the proper use of funds. My leadership in overseeing compliance for the allocation and disbursement of over $27 billion resulted in zero findings after multiple Federal audits. I am proud of our work helping New York through the COVID crises.
How does it feel to be a non-traditional student?
Initially I was nervous to attend law school as a non-traditional student because I did not know how I would balance a full-time job, caring for my family, and the demanding time commitment that mastering the material requires. However, I quickly learned that proper planning and efficient use of time would allow me to fit everything in. There are times that I want to be on campus for events, but I live 2.5 hours away in upstate New York. However, the school does a great job in ensuring that in person meetings also have a virtual option so weekend students can attend.
Going to law school on the weekends is challenging because I have a 2.5-hour commute that I often do on Saturday morning before a full day of classes. Some of our classes are four hours long (Contracts and Criminal Law!) but I find the professors do their best to make the material interesting. My fellow law students also participate in class which livens up the material. The weekend program is demanding but it is doable. There is a sense of camaraderie among weekend students because we are all going through the same demanding program. Moreover, I serve as the weekend liaison for the Labor and Employment Law forum which allows me to engage with one of my interests in labor and employment law. The ability to serve in this capacity helps me feel connected to the school despite being a nontraditional student.
What challenges have you faced in law school and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I faced in law school was the passing of my father during the second semester of my 1LW year about a month before finals. I found out my father had lung cancer just weeks before starting law school. Sadly, I lost my mother in 2021 during COVID, so I was still grieving my mother’s loss when my father’s diagnosis was revealed. I was his sole caregiver and was responsible for taking him to his chemotherapy and doctor’s appointments while balancing a full-time job and the demands of law school. It was difficult to begin my law school journey this way, but my father was very supportive of me and insisted I continued my dream of becoming a lawyer. I was forced to muti task, so I brought my work with me everywhere I went in case I had a moment to study.
Although my father did not go to college, he was one of the smartest people I know. I have fond memories of talking to him about cases and hearing his opinion from the point of view of what we would consider in law an “ordinary prudent person”. I used this opportunity to explain difficult concepts to him because I learned that if you can explain a concept to someone it helps you learn it yourself.
My last memory with him was watching one of our favorite movies and a law movie classic,12 Angry Men, which I first watched with him as a child. But viewing the film this time was different because I was in law school, so I had a deeper perspective. The knowledge that my father was proud of me for pursuing law school, coupled with the fact he witnessed me excel during my first semester is a memory I will forever cherish. In fact, it is what helped me complete the semester. Also, my sister has been my cheerleader throughout law school and always told me she believed I could be a lawyer and do well in law school before I even took the LSAT. I am grateful for her unwavering support. Family and friends are instrumental when going through hard times. My advice to anyone going through a difficult time during law school is to give yourself grace, remember why you initially came to law school, and do your best to finish what you started. I am grateful that I followed this path.
Another challenge was trusting my gut instincts when it came to figuring out what worked for me in law school. I learned that it is good to hear different perspectives because there are many ways to be successful in law school. However, you must figure out the way that you learn and do that even if other people study differently. Doing law school is highly personal and requires a lot of self-exploration and emotional stamina. After a few weeks of toying with different study and learning methods, I found what worked.
Do you have mentors and how have they played a role in your law school career?
I have a 3L mentor through the LEO program that has been very instrumental in helping me navigate the resources at Seton Hall. I also have an unofficial mentor that I met through LEO that is also a 3L that I can always count on for advice. Lastly, I have a mentor that is a partner in a Big Law firm that has been very generous with his time and invaluable advice. He even went to court with me where we got to observe a federal case. As a first-generation law student, I am grateful for mentors and suggest all students get a mentor to learn from. Attending law school and becoming a lawyer is very complicated. Therefore, it helps to have the wise counsel of people who have been in your shoes.
What are your plans for 2LW How did you get your summer internship?
I accepted a Summer Associate position for my 2LW summer at McGuireWoods. The firm is a Big Law firm that has nearly all the practice areas I am interested in learning more about. Because I am a weekend student, I am considered part of the 1L Summer Associate class. I secured the position by applying directly to the firm’s website. I did not participate in fall recruitment; however, I suggest everyone participate in fall recruitment. I met with Seton Hall’s Career Services later in the fall semester and was encouraged to apply directly to Big Law firms during the Christmas break. Specifically, Monique Blackwood gave me valuable advice on the application process and did a mock interview to help me prepare.
My advice to a law student seeking a summer position would be to apply to law firms that have practice areas that pique your interest. My goal was to work in a Big Law firm to gain experience in corporate law, so I was able to narrow my search to those firms. Next, make sure you adequately prepare for the interview process. I devoted a lot of time getting to know the firm so I could have a dynamic interview and ask relevant questions about the various practice areas and culture within the firm. If you made it to the interview step it means the firm sees something in you, therefore, you must use the interview to show how your skills and experience can contribute to the firm.
What are your plans for post-graduation. What practice area(s) are you interested in?
I am looking forward to spending this upcoming summer at McGuire Woods and look forward to hopefully coming back to the firm during my 3LW summer, and eventually working for the firm as an associate. My plan is to work at a corporate law firm focusing on a transactional practice where I can fulfill my goal of helping organizations reach their strategic objectives. I enjoyed Contract law in school and look forward to putting that knowledge into practice. I also have many interests including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and compliance. I seek to work on these types of cases and discover the areas in which I excel.
What advice would you give students on how to be successful in law school?
My advice on how to be successful in law school is to be consistent with the effort you put into school. Although there is one final at the end of the semester, the work starts before the first day. Always be prepared for class and do the work each week. This consistency will help the material come together for finals time.
Next, it is important to figure out how you learn best and go with that. Do not compare yourself with others, just make sure you are proud of the work you are putting in. If you are a hard worker, then you likely are your harshest critic.
Therefore, focus on impressing yourself and you will always do well.
Law school can be a great equalizer because there is anonymous grading. If you made it this far, you have a chance to do well in law school despite being a First-Generation college or law student or coming from a low socioeconomic or underprivileged background. So, do not feel like an imposter if you come from these backgrounds. You deserve to be here as much as everyone else because you put in the hard work to get to this point. Now, it is up to you to finish.
Lastly, remember why you are in law school and keep the end goal in mind. Everything is possible when you put in hard work. I had everything stacked up against me before and during law school, but I overcame the adversity through my dedication to being successful.
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