Meet Your Student Ambassadors
The Heart of our Community
Pepperdine Caruso Law's student ambassadors represent the heart of our school in different yet profound ways. Student ambassadors are recommended by faculty, staff, and administrators and serve as professional student leaders who welcome prospective students to campus and lead law school tours. They are leaders in the law community, involved, enthusiastic, and having been through this process themselves, are in a unique position to provide insight from their firsthand experience. Pepperdine Caruso Law student ambassadors are a diverse group of academic achievers and represent a broad spectrum of interest areas in legal practice.
Our student ambassadors give out their personal emails to students who visit campus and attend a tour with them. For questions about the application and admissions process, please contact the admissions office at lawadmis@pepperdine.edu after reviewing the Frequently Asked Questions.
Alex Boutelle, 2L
Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota
Undergraduate University & Major: University of Northwestern, St. Paul - Education Studies
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Honor Board, Advocates for Public Interest Law, Christian Legal Society, LexisNexis
Representative, Student Mentor, Law Review
Legal Works: Summer intern for the Navy JAG Corps in New Orleans, Louisiana
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: Product liability defense litigation at a firm in Los Angeles
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: The caring community!
Advice for future Pepperdine Caruso Law Students: You will make the best friends of your life here and they will get you through the many stresses and joys of law school.
Jemuel Gascon, 2L
Hometown: Fresno, California
Undergraduate University & Major: California State University Fresno- Chemistry
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Student Bar Association (SBA) Treasurer, Dispute Resolution Law Journal, Student Mentor
Legal Works: United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California Law Clerk, Criminal Division San Joaquin College of Law: New American Legal Clinic Summer Internship, Nonprofit Immigration Law Clinic
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: Passing the bar and working at a firm or in-house counsel
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: The people
Advice for future Pepperdine Caruso Law Students: No matter what happens, everything will be alright.
Emily Holland, 3L
Hometown: Fairmont, Minnesota
Undergraduate University & Major: University of Northwestern, Saint Paul - English Literature and Writing
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Christian Legal Society, Dispute Resolution Law Journal, Advocates for Public Interest Law, London Program
Legal Works: Sudreau Global Justice Program in Rwanda and St. Louis County Attorney's Office-Public Health and Human Services
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: Public Interest Work in Minnesota.
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: The people I've met, both faculty and students.
Advice for future Pepperdine Caruso Law Students: Learn good study habits early and trust your instincts on what works best for you.
Troy Kramer, 2L
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Undergraduate University and Major: Pepperdine University - Economics
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Christian Legal Society, Journal of Business Entrepreneurship and the Law (JBEL)
Plans after graduation: I want to practice civil litigation and real estate law and hope to own my own law firm one day
Favorite thing about Pepperdine Caruso Law: The community. Pepperdine is an incredible group of students, professors, and faculty members who really make it feel like home. I know I can rely on my friends and mentors when I need something and always feel secure being in this tight-knit community.
Advice for future law students: Law school isn't as scary as everyone says it is. As long as you do the work and hold yourself accountable, you're going to be just fine!
Chase Lambert, 2L
Hometown: Mahaska, Kansas
Undergraduate University & Major: Kansas State University - Finance and Entrepreneurship Dual major; Economics minor
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Federalist Society Executive Board, International Law Society, Student Ambassador, Palmer Fellow
Legal Works: Disaster Recovery Clinic and In-House General Counsel legal intern at Reserve
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: Corporate In-House Counsel
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: The location and community.
Advice for future Pepperdine Caruso Law Students: Come in with an open mind, do your readings during 1L, and find something to do for at least an hour other than law school on a daily basis.
Joel Lopata, 2L
Hometown: Deerfield, Illinois
Undergraduate University & Major: Pepperdine University- Rhetoric and Leadership
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Moot Court, Law Review
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: After Pepperdine Caruso Law, I plan on working at a law firm for at least a couple of years.
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: Some of my favorite things about Pepperdine Caruso Law are the amazing people and the familial environment.
Advice for future Pepperdine Caruso Law Students: Read Deconstructing Legal Analysis by Peter Wendel and work on typing
Daniel Schmidt, 3L
Hometown: Derwood, Maryland
Undergraduate University and Major: Furman University - History
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Vice President, Veterans Legal Society
Legal Work: Externed in the Western District of Texas and worked for the Travis County, Texas prosecutor's office.
Plans after graduation: I plan on moving to Texas and getting a job in the field of labor and employment law.
Favorite thing about Pepperdine Caruso Law: The faculty, staff and your fellow students are all truly invested in your success. Professors are available out of class to help you understand the topics covered in class or for other reasons, such as recommendations, advice, or general conversation. The Pepperdine community is truly engaged in the lives of its students and wants the best for all law students.
Advice for future law students: READ ahead of class -- come as prepared as possible to each and every class and be ready, willing and eager to answer any question your professor might ask.
Kelly Shea, 2L
Hometown: Encino, California
Undergraduate University & Major: Thomas Edison State University - Sociology
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Christian Legal Society, Federalist Society, Law Review, Moot Court Board, Student Mentor
Legal Works: Externed for a Magistrate Judge; Clerking for Los Angeles District Attorney's Office; Research Assistant for a professor; volunteer as a student Legal Volunteer with Christian Legal Aid Los Angeles.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: To work in the field of wrongful convictions.
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: The people!
Advice for future Pepperdine Caruso Law Students: Connect, breathe, and if you choose, Pepperdine will always be your home!
Stolle Voigt, 2L
Hometown: Van Alstyne, Texas
Undergraduate University & Major: Baylor University - Sports Marketing & Finance
Pepperdine Caruso Law Extracurricular Activities: Christian Legal Society, Trail Team, Dispute Resolution Law Journal, Sports and Entertainment Law Society
Legal Works: Extern at LA Superior Court in San Fernando Valley, Intern at Cooper & Scully PC
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: Move back to Dallas, Texas and work for the DA.
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: The community; I really feel loved and supported by all of my peers and my professors, especially on the trial team. Nothing beats having the whole school root for your success.
Advice for future Pepperdine Caruso Law Students: Go to law school and be open about the possibilities it holds for you. I had no idea I wanted to be a trial lawyer until I let myself be open to the possibility of doing a closing argument competition. Let these 3 years help shape who you are supposed to be and let the community here support you in doing that.