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Karla Guzman Martinez is one of the first students in IU McKinney’s Pathway to the Law program and Summer Law and Leadership Academy to enter law school. The 3L began her studies in the law school’s evening program and is planning to graduate in December.

Guzman Martinez grew up in Indianapolis and completed her undergraduate degree in political science on the IUPUI campus. She initially wanted to become a cardiologist but elected to change majors after one of her pre-med classes didn’t turn out as well as she’d hoped. While pondering what she wanted to do, Guzman Martinez said she recalled people in her life who told her she should become an attorney because she easily speaks her mind and was good at presenting arguments to back her opinions.

She’s the first person in her family to graduate from high school, Guzman Martinez said. The Pathway to the Law program and the Summer Law & Leadership Academy were invaluable to her. “That’s where I began to learn what I needed to do to get into law school,” she said. “I didn’t know I needed to take the LSAT until I became part of the program.”

IU McKinney’s Summer Law & Leadership Academy is a one-week experience designed to introduce undergraduate students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to law school and the various career paths they may pursue with a law degree. Students in the academy also get tips to help strengthen their academic skills.

Guzman Martinez said her mentors in the program were memorable. Her first mentor worked for then-Indiana Supreme Court Justice Steven David, J.D. ’80, so Guzman Martinez got to meet the justice. She became acquainted with the Hispanic attorney she’d ever met: Steven Núñez, J.D. ’16. A student mentor pulled her into the Hispanic Law Society and made sure Guzman Martinez attended all the society’s events. Guzman Martinez also is an Indiana Conference on Legal Education Opportunity fellow, and received a Diversity Scholarship Foundation award which will cover bar exam preparation.

“It was helpful,” Guzman Martinez said. “I formed a network through Pathway to the Law and all of my ICLEO involvements.”

Because of the pandemic, the typical summer before law school ICLEO experience was conducted entirely online, which made it difficult to make connections, she said. On the other hand, she did get to meet many of her IU McKinney professors before classes began.

Guzman Martinez had worked for several Indiana not-for-profit organizations during law school, including the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic and Indiana Legal Services, where she completed an externship for their center for at-risk elders. She’s keeping her options open regarding how she plans to begin her career after completing her legal education.