Carisa McKillop

Carisa McKillop

10.28.2022

By Michella Hand

Name: Carisa McKillop
Hometown: Smithtown, New York (Long Island)
Law School: Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University
Graduation Year: 2024

What inspired you to go to law school?

I want to be able to advise my clients to help them reach their personal and/or financial goals.

What area of the law interests you and why?

I’m primarily interested in Real Estate and Trust and Estates. I had experience with working with Real Estate before law school at a title insurance company and loved it and I had the opportunity to explore Trust and Estates law while working.

What extracurriculars are you involved in and how have they impacted your experience?

I currently serve as the Secretary of the Real Estate Law Society, a Staff Member on the Moot Court Board on the Mentorship Committee where I will compete Interscholastically in the Spring 2023 semester, and as an Associate Staff member on Volume 48 of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Law Journal (ACTEC). I am a member of the Women’s Law Society and multiple bar associations which has provided me with an incredible support system. I also am an Admissions Student Ambassador for the Office of Enrollment Management at Hofstra Law and a peer mentor.

The Real Estate Law Society has allowed me to connect with other students at Hofstra also interested in Real Estate and enhanced my legal education through their events.

My involvement with the Moot Court Board enhanced my public speaking skills and continues to enhance my advocacy skills in an irreplaceable way and cannot wait to put my advocacy skills I have learned so far to use next semester when competing. Additionally, my involvement with ACTEC has given me the opportunity to improve my writing, research, and citation skills.

I recently was selected to be the Special Assistant for the Title and Transfer Committee under the NYSBA’s Real Property Section and am excited to be able to work with the prestigious attorneys through this position!

What do you hope to achieve after you graduate?

I hope to be practicing Real Estate at a firm or opening a firm of my own!

What advice would you give to your fellow law students?

Always be open to new opportunities, even if you never thought about pursuing those opportunities previously. You will never know what you are capable of unless you are open and willing to try something new.

Why should other law students join NYSBA?

Other law students should join the NYSBA because they offer so much for law students to help them develop professionally. For example, I recently attended the Advanced Resume and Cover Letter Workshop for Law Students and Recent Graduates where multiple Career Services staff from various NYS law schools helped to improve our cover letters and resumes. Additionally, it is great to connect with the legal community through joining committees based on your interests.