Law is a second career for me, a decision I made right before I turned 30 and the Universal Bar Exam helped me achieve that dream. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and taught high school. My first year teaching, I began graduate school, and my daughter was in preschool. I was stretched thin, but graduated with my Masters in Library Science. The long-term goal was librarianship, so post-grad I moved out of the classroom and into a college library. Working in the library brought me immense joy. I was still in a school setting, working with students, and teaching the occasional research lab. The library was and still is one of my favorite places and something I advocate very heavily for. Little did I know I’d be back in the school setting for law school in a few years.

After two years in the library, I felt like I needed to pivot. I was craving something a little louder and a little more fast paced, but where I could also utilize the skills I developed on my degree paths.  On a whim, I took a position as a paralegal in an estate planning and probate litigation firm. Up until this point I had not considered a career outside of academia. I was certain my next step would be going back to school for my doctorate, so the legal field and law school was not something I considered.

I found my time as a paralegal was really gratifying in the way I was looking for. I loved the urgency of the environment; it was hectic, demanding, and challenging. I felt like I was thriving, and within a year, I had been promoted. I was given an office, a raise, and additional responsibilities. 

At the same time, the pandemic hit. Life was different in several ways, but the firm was also going through changes, which for me felt like I would be pivoting again soon. I was about to turn 30, the world was thrown into very sudden and extreme chaos, and so it seemed like the best time to make a dramatic decision. 

I decided to take the LSAT, knowing I was ready to go back to school. Law school felt like the right next step, and I spent time every day looking at pictures of the University of Dayton. I was living in Texas, but my parents lived in Dayton. I had two options; I could stay put and go to Southern Methodist University, most likely in a part time program so I could continue to work fulltime or move 900 miles north to Ohio and attend University of Dayton (UD). My daughter was nine by this time, but I was no stranger to parenting, working full time, and going to school simultaneously. But, after some deliberation and conversations with other attorneys, I decided the best thing would be to immerse myself entirely into the experience. No part time programs, no hybrid programs, just jump in with both feet and do it full time. UD was the best option. This way we could be close to my family for the additional support, and I could take time off work. I applied and was accepted to University of Dayton School of Law in May of 2021. 

My daughter and I moved to Ohio and lived with my parents while I attended school. The three of us were a stellar co-parenting team.  Law school on its own is such a demanding and all-encompassing experience, just like motherhood. This was not in any way the same as working and going to graduate school. It was an entirely different beast. I would not have been successful trying to do all of this on my own, and thanks to my parents I didn’t have to. 

I feel like my journey as a parent and a “law as a second career” student was physically, mentally, and emotionally difficult to say the least. There were times I felt selfish, because I was pursuing this goal without really considering how hard it would be for my daughter. Long term this was an excellent decision, but short term she was directly suffering from my lack of physical and emotional presence. Once I started my second year of law school and she started middle school, it was like we were in the middle of an unimaginable storm. It felt like a challenge we would never make it through. Sacrifices had to be made, either her homework was getting done or mine was, but not both. Despite the immense support I had from my community, there were still responsibilities that I couldn’t tag someone else in to handle. Some days I felt like I failed as a mom, and some days I felt like I failed as a law student. And then, some days I felt like I failed at both. Of course, there were days when I did succeed at both, too. 

There were several occasions where I could bring her to campus with me. Those moments helped both of us to be able to see the bigger picture, when the picture in front of us felt so daunting. It was important to me for her to see me in action, so I tried to make her a part of what I was doing whenever I could. I was the president of the Women in Law and Leadership student organization, and one of the last events we hosted before graduation was a panel of female attorneys and judges that came to discuss their experiences as women in the legal field. This event was such a success and is the proudest moment of my law school career. We packed the room with the most guests we’d ever had at one of our events, and it was a moment where my law school journey and my parenting journey coincided. 

In July 2024, I sat for the Ohio Bar exam. While I didn’t meet the score requirement for Ohio, I did for Indiana. Thankfully because of the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), I was able to waive into another jurisdiction, and I was sworn into the Indiana State Bar on January 10, 2025. 

The UBE was first introduced in 2019. This restructuring of the bar exam is probably one of the most celebrated adjustments to the practice of law. Forty-one states administer the UBE, and depending on your score you can practice in any one of them without having to sit for another exam. This was such a relief, for me especially, as a non-traditional student, graduate, and full-time parent to an almost teenager involved in every extracurricular activity available. The UBE allowed me to get my license and begin my career without the emotional, mental, and financial chaos that comes with sitting for the exam a second time. It would finally allow my daughter and I to see the other side of the turbulent storm that was law school.

I was fortunate to be offered a position shortly after graduation, a firm that coincidentally practices in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, making the transition from law clerk to associate quite seamless. I was sworn in on a Friday afternoon, and Monday morning I appeared as plaintiff’s counsel for a show cause hearing in St. Joseph Circuit Court, Indiana. 

My day to day is spent attending hearings, negotiating settlements, or reviewing complaints, amongst other things. I have a mediation coming up, and depending on the outcome, a possible trial in December. I am lucky to have found such a great firm to start my career. I wake up every day looking forward to my workday. Outside of work, my life as a mother remains equally eventful. Evenings and weekends are spent carpooling to and from cheer practice or band practice. The last eight months have been incredible, and despite how hard it was in the moment, I couldn’t imagine not being where I am now.  To quote from Stephen King’s “Holly Gibney” series, “I believe you hear a click, not in your head but in your soul, when you find the place where you belong. You can ignore it, but really, why would you?”

Kayla Lloyd is a graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law and first year associate at Slovin and Council Co., L.P.A., a creditor’s rights firm in Cincinnati representing consumer and commercial creditors in Indiana.