Faith and Family Law

 “The summer before my senior year of college, I had a congressional internship in Washington, D.C.,” says Cierra Potter ’26.  “When I mentioned to people on the ‘Hill’ that Chicago-Kent College of Law was my top contender for law school, they knew what school I was talking about and how good the trial team was. That only solidified, for me, that I wanted to be at Chicago-Kent.”

Potter joined the trial advocacy team at Chicago-Kent, competing in the National Trial Competition and the Buffalo-Niagara Trial Competition. And she went on to win the Best Advocate Award in the fall 2024 Trial Advocacy Intensive. 

Most importantly, though, she gained skills that will help her in her future career.

“These experiences have shaped me into an advocate for others and showed me that I 100 percent made the right decision by coming to Chicago-Kent,” she says. “They have made me feel confident that I will be able to represent clients gracefully and intelligently, zealously advocating for the best possible outcomes.”

Potter hit the ground running at Chicago-Kent, taking advantage of the 1L Your Way program to work in the Civil Litigation Clinic her first year.

“The clinic gave me hands-on experience reviewing discovery, drafting motions, and interacting with clients through the intake process,” she says. “This prepared me well for my first legal job during my 1L summer, because I already knew the basics of drafting and formatting.”

The summer after her second year, Potter landed her dream job through Chicago-Kent’s job portal: an internship at Life Span, a Chicago-based legal aid organization that provides services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

“This was not only a rewarding experience because I was able to help others and truly make a tangible difference in their lives, but it also showed me what working as a family law attorney will be like and reaffirmed for me that family law is what I want to pursue,” Potter says.

Her internship was so successful, she was invited back for a fall externship, which she happily accepted. 

Now, she’s planning for a career in family law, where she wants to advocate for survivors  of domestic violence.

“This experience was the first time I felt like I was using my knowledge and legal education to tangibly make a difference in the lives of other people,” Potter says. “That was a feeling I loved. I loved going in every day knowing that the work I was doing was meaningful.”

She’s also making a difference in the lives of her fellow students. 

As president of Chicago-Kent’s Christian Legal Society, Potter has brought the organization back to life with weekly Bible study sessions.

“This experience of gathering with my classmates, reading the Bible, praying, and talking through how we can apply the scriptures to our lives as Christian law students has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” she says.

Armed with her faith and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent, Potter’s future looks bright.

“I hope to use my education and experiences to help create more comprehensive federal domestic violence policy to better support survivors and their children,” she says.