KU Law welcomes Class of 2029

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas School of Law welcomed the Class of 2029 to Green Hall in August. This year’s incoming class is made up of 121 J.D. students from 22 states and 62 undergraduate institutions.

The class of 2029 sets another KU Law record for the highest combined median LSAT score and GPA. This is the sixth consecutive year that the incoming class has topped this mark. View a full class profile.

Meet 10 students who shared their reasons for choosing KU Law, their backgrounds and what they hope to accomplish with their legal education.

Meet the students:

Addison Burns
Addison Burns is from Denver, Colorado, and attended the University of Arizona, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in law with a minor in business administration. During college, she interned with the Why Not You Foundation, founded by Russell Wilson and Ciara, where she supported initiatives focused on empowering young people. She also interned with the Denver District Attorney’s Office and participated in Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. At KU Law, she serves as a 1L representative for Women in Law.

“I chose KU because I immediately felt like it was a place I could see myself flourishing over the next three years. It just felt right,” Burns said. “I could tell that it was a community that would challenge me while also supporting my goals. It didn’t have the cutthroat competitive feel that sometimes law school can give. I felt welcomed and wanted.”

Burns is interested in civil litigation, particularly medical malpractice defense, though she is keeping an open mind about other areas of law. After graduation, she hopes to build a career in which she can advocate for clients and become an attorney they trust and colleagues respect. She also hopes to mentor younger attorneys and law students and give back to nonprofit organizations and causes that are important to her.

Petre Dimitriu
Petre Dimitriu grew up in Topeka after his family immigrated to the United States from Romania. He attended the University of Kansas, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English. Before coming to KU Law as a student, Dimitriu worked for two years as an administrative associate for the Project for Innocence & Post-Conviction Remedies and Douglas County Legal Aid. He also spent three years volunteering as a crisis counselor with HeadQuarters Kansas, answering calls on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

“I chose KU Law because of the incredible students, faculty and staff I met in my two years as a KU Law employee,” he said. “KU Law felt like a welcoming community of people dedicated to supporting each other, and that was the sort of environment I wanted to be in as a student. I also saw the clinic students I worked with find jobs they were excited about right out of law school, so I knew a degree from KU Law would let me achieve whatever I wanted to pursue.”

Dimitriu is most interested in litigation, particularly criminal defense, though he is keeping an open mind as he explores the legal profession. With his law degree, he hopes to become an effective advocate for clients who are stressed by the prospect of navigating complicated legal systems.

Lesly Hernandez-Olivas
Lesly Hernandez-Olivas is from Wichita. She attended Wichita State University, where she studied political science through the LEAD Program. Before coming to KU Law, Hernandez-Olivas served as chief justice of the Judicial Branch of Wichita State’s student government. She also interned with Balderas Legal Group, an immigration law firm in Wichita.

“I chose KU Law because I felt the faculty, staff and environment would help me acquire and foster the skills necessary to become a well-rounded attorney in my community and the broader legal community,” she said.

Hernandez-Olivas is interested in immigration law and plans to use her legal education to work directly with the immigrant community in Wichita. She hopes to help future clients navigate the intricacies of the immigration system and better understand how laws and the lawmaking process affect their circumstances.

Mona Ikbariah
Mona Ikbariah is from Nashville, Tennessee. She attended Middle Tennessee State University, where she majored in political science with a pre-law concentration and minored in international relations. During undergrad, she served as treasurer for Model United Nations and historian for Lambda Sigma Honors Society. She also competed in the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Moot Court Competition and Model United Nations. Before coming to KU Law, she interned at Grossman Young & Hammond, an immigration law firm, and worked as an operations support specialist at Javitch Block LLC, a creditors’ rights law firm.

“I chose KU Law because of its outstanding reputation and academic program,” Ikbariah said.  “KU allows me to tailor my education to the area of law that I am interested in with its specialized certificates and concentrations. Its affordable out-of-state tuition also stood out to me, as well as its welcoming environment.”

Ikbariah is interested in intellectual property and transactional law and hopes to explore both areas through coursework, internships and extracurricular activities. After law school, she hopes to return to Nashville and build her career in either intellectual property or transactional law while making a positive impact on the people she serves.

John Marshall
John Marshall was born and raised in Lawrence, the son of KU psychology professor Dr. Susan Marshall. He attended the University of Kansas, where he studied English and history. During undergrad, he competed in policy debate and served as president of the Kansas debate team. In 2025, Marshall and his debate partner won the Copeland Award, which recognizes the top debate team in the country over the course of the season. They also were finalists in the National Debate Tournament.

“I love the university and Lawrence. I was raised a Jayhawk and wanted to continue my education as a Jayhawk. I have so many great connections and friends in Lawrence and wanted to continue representing the university that I love,” he said. “It was also hard to imagine ever rooting for a sports team that wasn’t KU. The Rice Scholarship program was a large pull factor as well.”

Marshall hopes to pursue a career in appellate litigation, although he plans to remain open to opportunities in other areas of law. He was drawn to law by its intellectual challenges and hopes to build a practice that allows him to continue learning while helping clients navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Katie McCarthy
Katie McCarthy grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She attended UCLA, where she majored in economics and political science and competed for four years as a student-athlete on the UCLA volleyball team. She competed in both the Pac-12 and Big Ten. After graduation, McCarthy spent a year as an academic mentor for student-athletes at UCLA. At KU Law, she serves as a 1L representative for Women in Law.

“I traveled to Kansas City for volleyball tournaments when I played club volleyball. A couple of my teammates grew up there and spoke highly of the community,” McCarthy said. “When I toured KU Law, I knew it was where I wanted to be. I was drawn to the smaller class sizes, invested professors, dedicated career services and the atmosphere of Lawrence. My experience so far has exceeded my expectations.”

McCarthy is currently open to many areas of law, though she can see herself pursuing litigation or transactional law. She hopes to use her law degree to help others and become someone clients trust to handle their problems with care and efficiency.

Yasmina Mokhtar
Yasmina Mokhtar is from Joplin, Missouri. She attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and criminology with minors in Spanish and race, ethnic and gender studies. During undergrad, she served as president of the School of Humanities & Social Sciences Student Council and was involved in Roos for Refugees, a student organization that supported and mentored refugee children in Kansas City. She also competed on the mock trial team and interned with the Crime Prevention Fund and the Special Victims Unit of the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.

“I chose KU because not only is it close to home, but it also opens the door for me to take my legal career in any direction I want,” she said. “I wanted to go to a law school that had a broad reach geographically, which KU has through its alumni who practice all over the U.S. Hearing that KU alumni love helping current students was reassuring for wanting to achieve my dream of practicing in Chicago or the East Coast. I also chose KU because of the welcoming environment emulated through the students and faculty.”

Mokhtar is interested in criminal law and hopes to become a prosecutor focused on domestic violence, sex crimes and crimes against children. Her experience as a victim advocate inspired her to pursue a career advocating for survivors. She hopes to help change the narrative around domestic violence and sexual assault by increasing support for victims and raising awareness about the cycle of domestic violence.

Tatiana Villa
Tatiana Alicia Villa was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico. She began her undergraduate education at Oklahoma Baptist University before transferring to St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. While in New York, Villa worked as a legal assistant and paralegal at two civil defense firms. She later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she worked and earned a graduate certificate in race and social justice from the University of New Mexico.

“I was initially drawn to KU because of the strong bar passage rate, high employment numbers, affordability and cost of living,” Villa said. “Throughout the application process, and especially since being admitted, KU Law was incredibly transparent, communicative and resourceful. After Admitted Students Weekend in March this year, I was even more drawn to the KU Law community. As a first-generation law student, it was comforting to see how integrated the Career Services Office is with the legal education provided.”

Villa is passionate about advancing reproductive justice access in the United States through civil litigation. After graduation, she hopes to work as a civil rights fellow and eventually pursue a career in the reproductive justice legal sector in a major city.

Kelvin Washington
Kelvin Alexander Washington, known as “Wash,” is from Duncan, South Carolina. He attended the University of South Carolina, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Before coming to KU Law, Washington served as an active-duty enlisted paralegal in the U.S. Army, a role he continues to hold.

“I chose KU Law because a previous JAG that I worked with, Maj. Kevin Anderson, helped me get into the Funded Legal Education Program and really sold me on the KU experience,” Washington said. “He talked of the excellent faculty and good hometown feel of Kansas that I am used to.”

Washington is interested in military law and national security law. Through KU Law’s FLEP, he hopes to continue serving in the U.S. Army as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps officer. He also looks forward to building lasting connections at KU and carrying those relationships with him throughout his military and legal career.

Sylvia Yao
Sylvia Yao is originally from Linfen, Shanxi, China, “a region known for its noodles and vinegar.” She attended an international high school in Beijing before moving to the United States to attend the University of California, Irvine, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Before coming to KU Law, Yao worked primarily as a human resources coordinator in Los Angeles. Her experience with employee relations, workplace policies and employment issues sparked her interest in the intersection of human resources and law.

“After I moved to Kansas City, several friends who are KU alumni spoke very highly of KU and encouraged me to consider KU Law,” Yao said. “Before applying, I visited the campus in person, and I remember trying to picture what my life might look like as a law student here. The campus, the community and the atmosphere made KU feel like a place where I could genuinely see myself growing. That sense of community has reassured me that I made the right choice.”

Yao is particularly interested in transactional and business law while also hoping to gain exposure to litigation. After graduation, she plans to take the Kansas and Missouri bar exams and begin practicing law in the Kansas City area. Ultimately, as a first-generation law student, Yao hopes to help people in her community better understand and navigate the law, while also encouraging future generations to explore opportunities to pursue legal education in the United States.