Duke Law Life: Meet Natalie Cooke
Natalie Cooke
CLASS OF 2027
Prior Education: UCLA
Hometown: San Clemente, California
Professional Interest: Corporate law
My Duke Law Life
- Duke Law California Club
- First Generation Professionals
- Duke Law Run Club
- Veterans Assistance Project
- Women Law Students Association
- Innocence Project
- LEAD Fellow
I chose Duke Law because I was looking for a different environment after spending all of my life in Southern California. While touring law schools, Duke really stood out to me because of its collegial nature. The students highlighted the fact that because Durham is a small city and students come to Duke from all over the country and world, it’s much easier to form strong bonds with your classmates and feel a sense of belonging in the Duke Law community. I knew that I wanted to make friends and connections in law school, so Duke seemed like a perfect place.
I really enjoyed participating in Duke’s Transactional Law Competition. As someone who is interested in transactional work but previously had no experience with it, I was eager for opportunities to gain exposure to transactional law. The competition gave me a chance to practice some of the negotiation skills that a transactional lawyer uses and confirmed my interest in pursuing transactional law. And my roommate and I won 2nd place!
How has law school shaped you?
My law school experience taught me how to stay organized and manage my time with a lot of things on my plate. Balancing classes, job recuiting, and extracirrciulars seemed overwhelming at times.
By being organized and effectively allocating my time, I was able to stay ahead on my work and still have time for social events and friends.
3 great things about living in Durham
- Beautiful surroundings and the chance to be in nature. I love running the American Tobacco Trail every morning!
- The food scene. Coming from California, I was a little nervous about the food scene in Durham but I’ve been pleasantly surprised! There are so many cute restaurants in downtown and a great variety of food.
- So much to explore. Raleigh and Chapel Hill are nearby, and the beach is only a few hours away, so there are plenty of fun day trips from Durham.
- Get plenty of sleep! Don’t stay up super late to study, sleep is very important in law school.
- Exercise (or something else you do for self-care). You don’t have to sacrifice working out for law school. I was still able to work out everyday during 1L and it definitely kept me sane!
- Don’t miss out on social events. Classes are obviously your top priority, but give yourself time to unwind and have fun too.
- Be proactive. Throughout 1L you will only get busier as the year goes on; take opportunities to attend recruiting/networking receptions, extracirricular and social activities early!
My advice if you are thinking about law school
You can do it! For the first few weeks of law school I was doubting myself at every turn. Everyone at Duke is so intelligent and experienced; I felt like I wouldn’t be able to measure up. But I kept my head down and kept working hard, and by the end of the semester I knew that I could be successful in law school. Hard work and time management skills make all the difference. You also don’t need to give up on hobbies or self-care for law school. Make time to exercise, spend time with friends, and get plenty of sleep. You can still have fun in law school too!
Meet more of our JD students who make this a great community. They offer great advice if you're thinking about law school.
Employment opportunities available to graduates of Duke Law School consistently rank among the most prestigious and sought-after.
At Duke Law, you'll join a community of peers from different geographic regions, cultures, professional paths, and interests.