A Brazilian attorney with aspirations to become licensed in the United States, Julia Coelho ’09 didn’t just have to acclimate herself to a new legal system—she also had to get used to a new system of legal education.
Upon enrolling at Widener, Coelho quickly discovered that American law schools are worlds apart from their Brazilian counterparts. At the School of Law of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where Coelho earned her Brazilian law degree, her education was delivered straight from the books. At Widener Law’s
Harrisburg campus, on the other hand, the third-year student works closely with
top-notch professors who offer one-on-one attention and have an interest in her learning.
She’s also been introduced to the Socratic method of teaching.
“Professors don’t lecture you. They put you on the spot and make you think on your feet,” Coelho says. “It was a bit of an adjustment, but it’s really perfecting my public speaking skills and preparing me for my career.”
With English as her second language, Coelho didn’t reach her full potential on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Widener Law took her language skills into consideration when looking at her application for admission.
“Widener didn’t just look at my LSAT scores, they looked at me as a whole,” Coelho says. “They gave me a chance to prove myself through the Trial Admissions Program (TAP).”
Coelho more than proved herself through TAP—an alternative method of admissions for promising students—and continues to do so today. She’s proud to be second in her class in the
4-year Program and is poised for a successful law career in international transactions.