Peer Advisors
The Law School's Peer Advisor Program aims to alleviate the anxiety associated with the law school experience and help every student achieve success at the Law School. Six third-year law students serve as Peer Advisors under the direction of the Sr. Associate Director of Advising and Wellness Programs to help first-year students navigate life at the Law School. Peer Advisors are available during office hours to consult on class preparation, time management, life at the Law School and general support. They also coordinate several programs throughout the year for first-year students, offering tips on preparing for class discussions, exam preparation, events during each quarter, course selection, and other related topics.
The Peer Advisor Program has three main features—group workshops, individual meetings, and informal mentoring.
Group Workshops: The Peer Advisors offer a series of workshops to first-year students designed to assist them in adjusting to law school. Typical workshops include the following:
- a presentation on preparing for class
- a faculty panel discussion on preparing for and taking law school exams
- a panel presentation on what to expect each quarter
- a panel presentation on learning from grades
- a presentation on 1L elective course selection
Individual meetings: Students can use office hours discuss concerns related to preparing for classes, understanding their grades, and preparing for exams, as well as general questions about the Law School.
Informal mentoring: The Peer Advisors attend Law School and 1L community events to make themselves available for informal conversations and mentoring.
Office Hours: Peer Advisors will be available to meet in room 435 during office hours.
Autumn Quarter office hours will begin on Monday, September 30, and go through Friday, December 6.
Please make sure to check this page, as Peer Advisor office hours may change during the quarter.
Questions: Contact Jesse Landstrom with any questions about the Peer Advisor program: jlandstrom@uchicago.edu
John Benhart
John Benhart is a 3L from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Duke University in 2019, majoring in Computer Science and earning a certificate in ethics. After graduating, he was a fellow in a social-science research lab at Duke and then a seventh-grade science teacher in Baltimore as a Teach For America corps member.
John spent his 1L summer working at the EEOC in Pittsburgh and researching for Professor Neal. He spent his 2L summer working as a summer associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York City. John has served as the Treasurer of the Hemingway Society, a member of the Pro Bono Board, and a Senior Writer and now Head Writer of the Law School Musical. John is a member of The University of Chicago Law Review.
John is an avid cyclist, walker, and hiker. He also loves podcasts and going to the Chicago Art Institute.
Autumn Quarter Office Hours: Mondays: 4-5 p.m. & Thursdays: 4-5 p.m.
Liam Haffey
Liam Haffey is a 3L from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied economics and political science at Boston College. Before law school, he spent a year in investment banking at UBS in New York City.
Liam spent his 1L summer at the University of Chicago Immigrants' Rights Clinic. For his 2L summer, he worked in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. At the law school, Liam serves as the Executive Online Editor of the Law Review and continues to work in the clinic. He previously served as the Co-President of the American Constitution Society and as Co-President of Wine Mess.
Outside of school, Liam enjoys seeing movies, cooking, and exploring coffee shops in the city.
Autumn Quarter Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-4 p.m.
Anne Marie Hawley
Anne Marie Hawley is a 3L from Naperville, Illinois. She graduated from Georgetown in 2019 with a major in English and a minor in Film & Media Studies. Before starting law school, Anne Marie worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company for three years in the Boston and San Francisco offices.
Anne Marie spent her 1L summer working at the Supreme Court & Appellate Clinic at the law school and has continued as a student in the clinic throughout her 2L and now 3L year. Her 2L summer was split between Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C. and Equal Justice Under Law, a D.C. nonprofit fighting the criminalization of poverty through impact litigation. Anne Marie currently serves as a Comments Editor for Law Review. After graduation, she will serve as a law clerk on the Ninth Circuit.
In her free time, Anne Marie enjoys studying in new coffee shops, using her student discount to see theatre downtown, practicing hot yoga, and hosting Bachelor/ette watch parties for her friends.
Autumn Quarter Office Hours: Tuesdays 12:25-1:25p.m. & Thursdays 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Jenna Liu
Jenna is a 3L from Columbia, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020, where she studied Philosophy, Politics & Economics and Consumer Psychology. Before law school, she worked as a management consultant for two years in Washington, D.C.
Jenna spent her 1L summer at the law school’s Supreme Court & Appellate Clinic and has continued to work at the clinic ever since. She worked as a litigation summer associate in Sidley Austin’s Chicago office her 2L summer. After graduation, she will spend two years as a judicial law clerk.
At the law school, Jenna currently serves as a Comments Editor for Law Review and a Student Advisory Board member for The Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression. She will also be a senior writer for the Law School Musical! During her 2L year, Jenna served as the Chair of the CLF Public Interest Auction, Outreach Director for the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) and Co-President of Legal Recess.
In her free time, Jenna loves museums, live theater, movies at Alamo Drafthouse, the Lakefront Trail, and participating (and cheering on) intramural sports!
Autumn Quarter Office Hours: Mondays 12:30-1:30 p.m. & 3-4 p.m.
Sam Oh
Sam is in his third year of the three-year JD/MBA program. He is originally from northern Illinois but spent his college years in Cambridge, MA studying Computer Science and Philosophy at Harvard and running for the track team. Before returning to Illinois to start graduate school, he spent a few years working as a software engineer at various companies and startups.
Sam split his 1L summer between a big law firm working as a summer associate and at a fintech startup working as a machine learning engineer and business intern. His 2L summer was split between different law firms and work on a new startup. At the Law School, He served as the Law Student Association (LSA) President in the past year and will serve as a co-president of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) for the upcoming year.
Autumn Quarter Office Hours: Wednesdays 3-5 p.m.
Jessica Ritchie
Jessica is a 3L from the Chicago suburbs. She graduated from Cornell where she studied Government and minored in English and Spanish. In between undergrad and law school, Jessica worked for a foreign policy NGO in Washington, DC. She spent her 1L summer with the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). During her 2L summer, Jessica was a summer associate in Weil, Gotshal & Manges’s DC office.
At the Law School, Jessica participates in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic (CJJC). She served as the Law Women’s Caucus Co-Director of Public Interest and Government Service Programming and is an active member in a number of other organizations, including the Student Admissions Committee. Jessica plays on several of the Law School’s intramural teams and will serve as Co-President of Legal Recess this year.
Outside of school, Jessica loves to stay active, spend time with her friends and family, and explore Chicago.
Autumn Quarter Office Hours: Wednesdays 5-6 p.m. & Fridays 2:30-3:30 p.m.