The Illinois LawCast is a monthly podcast dedicated to sharing the stories of the University of Illinois College of Law. For nearly 130 years, Illinois Law has served as a preeminent site for the study of law, and in our podcast we will explore the stories behind the individuals that make Illinois a great place to learn. Through interviews with faculty, staff, and students from around the world, we’ll examine the College’s mission to educate our students effectively and comprehensively in legal principles and skills and to advance justice and the public good.
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This episode of Illinois LawCast examines the experiences of three first-generation college students enrolled in the JD program at Illinois Law. We pride ourselves on offering the services and support that help all of our students, and with 85% of our newest JD students being first-generation law students, it is important to provide support for the unique challenges of law school. Our robust student support, career counseling, and sense of community have helped make Illinois one of the top destinations among Big Ten schools for first-generation college students: those who are the first in their family to receive any degree. In 2025, our 1L class included 21% first-generation college students; that number in 2026 is 19%. In this episode, I am joined by three first-generation college students in their second year of law school, Brian Rodriguez, Alex Nevarez, and Zaccheus Ng-Posey. Each of them share about their backgrounds and what made them want to continue their journey in higher education by pursuing a law degree from Illinois.
26 Aug 2026
Helping students get the career they want
Our first episode of season three focuses on the College of Law's Office of Career Planning and Professional Development. Led by Executive Assistant Dean Greg Miarecki, the office offers students a strategic approach to finding the jobs they desire through changing employment climates via counseling, networking, marketing, and a variety of formal programs. Miarecki joins the podcast for the first half to provide an overview of the office and the work they do; in the second half, Director of Career Planning Matthew Clegg shares some specifics of the work he does as a career counselor as well as how he focuses on public interest and helping students who want to work for the public good find their place.
About the guests
Greg Miarecki leads the College’s Office of Career Planning and Professional Development, including employer outreach, strategic planning, and program design and implementation. A partner at Winston & Strawn LLP focusing on complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal matters, Greg received his BA in public policy cum laude from the University of Chicago and his JD from the University of Chicago Law School.
Matthew Clegg counsels students and alumni and specializes in counseling those interested in a public interest or government career. Matthew earned his BA from the University of Illinois, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Marian University, and his JD from the College of Law magna cum laude, where he served as the book review editor for the Law Review. Before joining the College of Law in 2015, Matthew worked as an associate in Chicago with Winston & Strawn LLP where he focused on financial services litigation. He has also worked as a social worker and as a teaching fellow in Gary, Indiana through the New Teacher Project.
28 May 2026
I Am Ready preps pre-law students for success
As a land-grant institution, the University of Illinois was founded on the idea it should provide education to the people of the state of Illinois, no matter their background or socioeconomic level. In addition, the College of Law's mission includes advancing justice and the public good. To marry these goals, the College of Law and Pre-Law Advising Services created the I Am Ready program, which supports students from any institution in central Illinois to enhance participant success in the law admissions process and the first year of law school.
In this episode, Megan Pickens, director of pre-law advising services, and Rebecca Ray, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid, join the podcast to discuss the I Am Ready program. They shared their motivation, details about the program, and information about how students and alumni can be part of I Am Ready.
Andrew Johnson, a member of the first I Am Ready cohort and a rising 3L at Illinois Law, also joined the podcast. He shared some of his experience and how I Am Ready has helped set him on a path to a successful law school career.
For more information about I Am Ready, including how to apply, visit their website: https://prelaw.illinois.edu/events/annual-programs/i-am-ready/ (https://prelaw.illinois.edu/events/annual-programs/i-am-ready/)
You can contact Pre-Law Advising at prelaw@illinois.edu (mailto:prelaw@illinois.edu) or Law Admissions at law-admissions@illinois.edu (mailto:law-admissions@illinois.edu).
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