Pregnant in Law School | Part 4: Meeting Baby Kendall

KU Law student Joni Bodnar welcomes her daughter, Kendall, into the world

In order to survive my last semester as a law student with a brand new baby, I did a lot of planning ahead of time. KU Law offers two winter intercession courses that count for the spring semester, as well as an additional intercession course immediately following spring semester finals. These courses would account for 6 of my remaining 11 credit hours, leaving only 5 hours for me to take during the actual semester.

Things do not always go as planned when it comes to babies, though, and I barely made it through the first 2-hour intercession course after having two early labor scares. Read More

Pregnant in Law School | Part 3: Staying focused

KU Law students with Professor Bill Westerbeke

From left: Law students Jennifer Hackman, Professor Bill Westerbeke, Joni Bodnar, Ashlyn Lindskog, Andrea Horvath and Suzanne Hale at a baby shower that Westerbeke threw for Bodnar.

By the time the fall semester began, I was almost halfway through my pregnancy at 18 weeks. I had made it through my summer internship and, most importantly, the first trimester!

I was feeling so good at that point in my pregnancy that I was able to get up early every morning and work out before I had to get the two oldest kids up and ready for school. Now, if I could recommend anything to any pregnant woman, let alone a pregnant law student, it would be to try your best to work out regularly, if possible. I did not exercise much during my first two pregnancies, but it made a tremendous difference during the third one. Read More

Pregnant in Law School | Part 2: The Internship

KU Law student Joni Bodnar and fellow law firm interns

From left, Grant Treaster, Paul Budd, Joni Bodnar and Christopher Staley (Washburn).

Like many 2Ls beginning their summer internship, I was extremely nervous and worried about making a good impression, hoping for that coveted offer of full-time employment at the end of the summer. I was also one of five interns, and we all knew we most likely were competing for a limited number of offers. So, no pressure whatsoever!

KU Law student Joni Bodnar at her summer internshipI was only two weeks into that “no-pressure” internship when I found out I was pregnant. This was one of the most nerve-wracking things of all to sort through. In a normal job situation, I would simply wait the requisite 12 weeks and then make the joyous announcement to my boss and fellow co-workers that I was expecting. No big deal, right?

Well, a summer legal internship was completely different. Read More

Pregnant in Law School | Part 1: The Big News

Joni Bodnar, 7 months pregnant, right, pictured with her younger sister

Joni Bodnar, 7 months pregnant, right, pictured with her younger sister

When I first learned I was pregnant, I had just completed my 2L year and was two weeks into my summer internship with a law firm. Now I know there are many different emotions a woman may feel when she finds out she is pregnant, depending on her particular circumstances. Since I was already married with two children, ages 5 and 7, one would think the news of a third child on the way would cause me elation, but that honestly was not my initial reaction.Read More

Law school no exception to ‘practice makes perfect’ mantra

Johnathan Koonce, KU Law Student Ambassador

Over the last three years, I’ve noticed striking similarities between playing sports and being a law student. Both activities require lots of time and dedication. To excel in either, you must learn the game, discover your strengths and weaknesses, and of course practice, practice, practice in preparation for game day. To be successful in law school, there are three things to remember: train daily, practice makes perfect, and play until the end.Read More

3L gains experience, confidence in Tribal Judicial Support Clinic

Zach Boggan

Third-year law student Zach Boggan developed an interest in Indian law when he took a course on the subject and participated in the Native American Law Students Association moot court program.

“It can be hard to find a firm practicing Indian law in a meaningful way,” Boggan said. “That’s what drove me to the clinic, to get a practical application of Indian law.”Read More