Diversity Pipeline Programs Manager Nicole Britton-Snyder recently caught up with Harmon Jacob Handloff, a participant in BASF’s Destination Law School (DLS) program, who will attend UC Hastings College of the Law in the Fall. Handloff, who graduated from San Francisco State in 2013, spoke about his expectations for law school, what he hopes to do with his degree and how DLS has been beneficial for him.

Nicole Britton-Snyder (NBS): Why law school?

Harmon Jacob Handloff (HJH): I’m going to law school because I feel that a legal education is the best vehicle for bringing the goals I have for my life to fruition. On a symbolic level, it serves as a sign of competence and personal relevance; my voice, and those who I speak for, is worthy of being heard. On a pragmatic level, it empowers me to actually make positive changes in the lives of those I might represent.

NBS: What are you most looking forward to in law school?

HJH: I’m most looking forward to meeting and forming connections with people who have similar legal and professional interests and learning more about the law with them. While college was certainly a nice place to make friends, I’m really excited to meet the sort of people I’ll actually be working with during my career.

NBS: How did DLS help you?

HJH: BASF’s Destination Law School program was really an incredible help for me in applying to law school. I’m nearly certain that I wouldn’t have had as successful of an application without their help. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to afford traditional LSAT prep courses on my own, but thanks to BASF’s cost-reduced LSAT course, I was able to improve my score by nearly twenty points from my initial testing. The law school visits facilitated through Destination Law School were really great too; meeting faculty and students one-on-one left me with the feeling that law school was something that was actually attainable.

Learn more: DLS is always looking for mentors and speakers, email Nicole Britton-Snyder at nbrittonsnyder@sfbar.org for details.