The second-year law student from Winter Park, Fla., is co-authoring the self-help book, The Path More Traveled, with his high school friend and UF Law alumnus Francisco Ferreiro (JD 06) in hopes to educate students who are contemplating attending law school. The book delves into issues that are crucial for students to consider before attending law school, he said.

The book’s six chapters will cover subjects including whether to go to law school, how to tackle the LSAT, how to choose a law school, what to do while attending law school and how then to get a job once it’s over.

Losey’s firsthand knowledge for the book is derived from many of his past experiences. Prior to law school, Losey taught the LSAT for Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions for more than two years. This was his first job that put him into the position to help students who were applying to law school. Losey was looking for a challenge, and as a result, he decided to attend law school.

After being accepted to approximately a half dozen law schools but being denied by the Levin College of Law despite scoring in the 90 percentile on the LSAT and graduating from the University of Florida cum laude, Losey decided to forgo the other law schools’ offers. As a graduate from the University of Florida, Losey knew there was no other place he wanted to be more.

Losey’s uses his personal struggle with the admissions process to offer students further advice. Losey learned that the application process was more than just numbers, which is an important point he highlights in the book. “It was a mistake to rely on my grades and LSAT score,” he said. “Students get too focused on numbers—it’s a package deal.”

During his year off from school, Losey appealed to the admissions committee regarding his denied application and worked in the College’s Center for Career Services. It was in this office where he helped law students find jobs upon graduation. With his book, Losey hopes to help prepare students for the process of job searching.

Losey also gained experience as a law clerk for the Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office and as a summer law clerk to the Honorable Chief Judge Patricia C. Fawsett (JD 75). Losey will continue gaining hands-on experience while serving as a summer associate at Foley & Lardner LLP in Winter Park, Fla.

Losey felt the need to write a book to assist students who are overwhelmed in their application process and educate them of what to expect of law school. He also felt the need for a recent, pragmatic and non-technical approach for students to utilize throughout the process.

Losey developed the idea of writing a book after he was accepted to law school and was inundated with requests from students for his insight into law school. Losey originally created the book’s Web site www.pathmoretraveled.com to be left alone from the plethora of continuous questions from students.

Losey created this innovative website in eight hours. The ease of writing the website was attributed to the advice being second nature to him. “It’s stuff I’ve said a thousand times to friends and students,” he said.

Losey soon realized that he could easily write a book that would continue to help students to decide if law school is right for them. “If you take a path in life that you are suited for, it’ll be a much smoother ride,” he said.

Even though Losey began writing The Path More Traveled in the beginning of January, he expects the book to be complete in about a year. Losey hopes that the broad range of readers challenge their assumptions and gain the information they need to make their own educated decision to make their lives better. “Much of this boils down to the fact that if you enjoy doing what you are doing, you will likely do well,” he said.

Losey’s fast-pace nature and stay-busy attitude is fueled by lots of caffeine provided by his Starbucks espresso machine. “I enjoy being busy,” he said. “Some of the best race cars don’t idle well.”

Klingler (pictured left with daughter Megan), an associate with the Atlanta-based law firm Powell Goldstein LLP, represents financial institutions in a wide variety of areas, including capital raising, securities compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. Helping clients reach their goals is enjoyable because in most cases it’s a win-win situation, Klingler said.

“Unlike litigation, where ‘winning’ is, at best, a zero-sum game, in transactional work both parties can benefit from the transaction, creating real value for society.” Klingler attributes his success to his experiences at UF, where he competed in Moot Court’s Final Four competition in 2001, chaired Moot Court’s intramural competition in Fall 2002, and served as assistant coach to the UF Speech and Debate Team from 1997 until 2003.

“I think it’s fairly rare for Moot Court competitors to go on to be transactional attorneys instead of litigators,” he said. “However, I am still using my communication skills all the time; simply in boardrooms rather than courtrooms. My experiences with Moot Court and Speech and Debate have improved my ability to negotiate on behalf of clients and to communicate complex legal issues to senior management officials and directors.”

Klingler commented that all of his degrees from UF have helped prepare him to be a transactional attorney, but highlighted the utility of his MBA in practicing law. “I believe one of the most important skills that contributes to my success is the ability to speak the same language as chief financial and executive officers,” he said. “Understanding the business and goals of my clients is useful to both them and me.”

Even though he works in Atlanta, Klingler still finds opportunities to root for the Gators in the most unlikely circumstances.

“At the same time as the BCS National Championship Game last January, I was working on a merger transaction in which the target was represented by an Ohio State fan,” he said. “We ended up watching the game at the same sports bar; I enjoyed it more than he did.”

He got his start at Powell Goldstein from his on-campus interview, which is still the best way for current students to find a job with larger law firms, he said. Klingler said the secret to success lies with having fun. “Everything goes back to ‘do what you enjoy and enjoy what you do,’” he said. “That quality is noticed by others and can spread throughout an organization, making the whole work environment more enjoyable for everyone.”

BLSA Secretary Nicki Webb, BLSA Secretary said “After Innocence” is a great way to give voices to the individuals who for many years didn’t have a voice. “It is important that as future attorneys we learn their stories now, in order to prevent future injustice,” she said.

The event was moderated by UF Law Professor Kenneth Nunn (pictured above), a board member of Florida’s Innocence Project. Audience members included members from APIL, Mediation beyond Borders, Federalist Society and of course BLSA. “Whatever your opinion about capital punishment, it is glaringly obvious that our justice system is embedded with defects that led to unjust tragedies,” Webb said. “An innocent person spending one second behind bars is absurd, much less 22 years of their life. Hopefully this week will impact UF law students so that we can pave the way for a just justice system.”

The attorney mentioned in the article went on to establish a self-help group and website targeted towards lawyers and law students who are seeking support within the field on mental health issues. Although at first, the attorney was reprimanded by his firm for the postings, he has now had a 15 percent increase in client requests in the past year. Many in the field are now applauding him for his courage to speak out about such a taboo topic.

If you are interested in learning more about how the legal profession is taking a stand to support those with mental health issues or are yourself seeking a support group for depression or anxiety, I encourage you to check out the website www.lawyerswithdepression.com.

If you wish to discuss the implications of depression or anxiety, or just want a local support, please feel free to stop by my office in Student Affairs. I would be more than happy to hear your comments or thoughts about this challenging topic. If you wish to make an appointment, please email me at wnobles2@ufl.edu, or call my office at 352-273-0633. My office hours are Tuesday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday 1-4 p.m., and Thursday 1-5 p.m.. I wish you a safe, happy, and healthy semester and look forward to working with you.