Great Graduate: Julia Landi

Photo courtsey of Julia Landi

For Julia Landi, people have always been the destination—even if the path to law took a few unexpected turns.
 

---

  
Julia Landi embodies the Jersey spirit—rooted in family, driven by curiosity and drawn to the law’s ability to connect and protect. The Morris Plains native graduates this spring from Seton Hall School of Law and will begin a clerkship with U.S. District Judge Stanley Chesler in Newark. At 24, she has shifted from early engineering ambitions to a focus on impact litigation, embracing what she calls her identity as “a big people person.” 

Landi grew up in Morris Plains, N.J., as the oldest of four in a large Irish-Italian-Polish American family. Her mother, Judy, works in business operations and retirement planning; her father, Tony, is an electrical engineer. Extended family lived nearby—her mother’s twin sister and her husband, Anne and Rich,  were down the street—making family gatherings a fixture. “It’s nice. I grew up with a lot of extended family around,” she said. 

Her siblings reflect a shared academic drive: one is in pharmacy school, while another is pursuing studies to become an occupational therapist. The youngest brother is finishing high school with plans to study math and finance. “Nothing’s impressive in our family because everyone’s overachievers,” she joked. 

Landi’s path to law was far from linear. She began college at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) as a mechanical engineering major, then pivoted to chemistry and later English, adding minors in marketing and biology. Her parents suggested patent law as a bridge between writing and technical work. “I always loved my writing classes and public speaking,” she said. Constitutional law—with its blend of intellectual challenge and client-centered purpose—became the space where those instincts found a home. So she decided to pursue a career in law. “If something I’m doing isn’t working, I’m ready and excited to try something different.” 

That adaptability led her to Seton Hall Law after conversations with alumnus Dylan Lembo ’24, who highlighted the school’s resources, scholarships and location. Living at home her first two years provided stability; a later move to Jersey City aligned with a Manhattan internship. Her New Jersey roots even came up during a summer internship. “Where in New Jersey are you from?” a partner asked after hearing she was a student at Seton Hall and a graduate from TCNJ. Her answer spoke for itself, tracing a path that was fully, intentionally local. 

At Seton Hall, Landi found mentors and experiences that sharpened her focus. Constitutional law with Professor Jenny-Brooke Condon stood out. “She’s a professional role model for me,” Landi said, citing Condon’s emphasis on advocacy and law’s role in society. Administrative law with Professor Michael Coenen proved equally engaging—thanks to Coenen’s engaging teaching—and particularly amid post-Loper Bright shifts and her growing interest in environmental law. 

Her most meaningful work came through the Impact Litigation Clinic with Professor Jon Romberg. “This is the thing I’ve enjoyed doing the most,” she said, describing work on amicus and appellate briefs with real-world stakes. Romberg’s approach left a lasting impression: “He never loses sight of the people that he’s working with.” 

Landi served on the Seton Hall Law Review as editor-in-chief, where classmate Wendy Xia described her as inspirational. She built lasting connections in the “Mighty B” section alongside classmates Mia Park, Salma Mohamed, Helena Rowe and Galin Dishoyan. She also reconnected with a high school friend, Elyse Genrich, now her roommate. These encounters shifted her outlook. “Letting myself lean into the law school experience helped me shift my perspective,” she said, moving from a grades-focused mindset to one centered on relationships and purpose. 

Outside the classroom, Landi plays guitar, draws and writes, with a music taste she admits leans melancholic. She is a devoted reader of David Foster Wallace, having read "Infinite Jest"—all 1,079 pages—three times, to the ongoing disbelief of friends. She also draws inspiration from musician and author Michelle Zauner, also known as Japanese Breakfast, admiring her creative range and willingness to evolve. “Seeing a young woman become successful in so many different ways—confident and assured, but also vulnerable about the difficulties of getting there,” Landi said. “That resonates with me.” 

She is not rushing to define what comes after the clerkship—whether public interest litigation, clinical teaching or something else entirely. “There’s a lot ahead of me, so I don’t feel like I have to be wed to one thing,” she said. 

Coming into law school, Landi said, she knew community would be central to the experience. It was. Now preparing to report to the federal courthouse in Newark, she keeps a straightforward, people-focused view of the profession. “Law is a service-based job,” she said. “You are doing work for other people that they need.”
 
From family dinners in Morris Plains to the steps of a federal courthouse, her path reflects that belief—as does the advice she offers others: “Focus not just on the finish line, but on the people along the way.”