Tiffany Poncy had always been interested in attending law school, but she didn’t have a bachelor’s degree. Then a long-time friend who enrolled in Trinity Law encouraged Tiffany to investigate her options. Tiffany was intrigued and decided to learn more! After several helpful discussions with Admissions, Tiffany enrolled at Trinity Law as a “special student,” an admission status the State Bar gives to those who attend law school without a degree and with additional testing requirements. Her hope of attending law school was going to become a reality!
Tiffany’s experience at Trinity Law was transformative. As a new law student, she was interested in practicing transactional law or in-house representation, but she left with a passion for litigation and public interest. She says, “The wide variety of classes, and the breadth of experience represented in the faculty and adjunct professors, exposed me to the law—both in learning and in practice—in ways that I did not anticipate.” She particularly enjoyed a Juvenile Justice elective in which she learned about the delinquency system. It opened her eyes to an area of practice that, in her words, “intersected with so many other areas of law as well as social issues.”
One of the highlights of Tiffany’s time at Trinity Law School was enjoying a diverse student body. She says, “While most of the students shared my faith, there were so many different voices in terms of age, life experience, race, national origin, and socioeconomic backgrounds.” This presented the opportunity for interesting and challenging conversations every day. She continues, “Being asked tough questions about how law and faith intersect with real-life issues from other students, as well as the professors, refined and matured my faith. It was empowering to see people from so many varied experiences come together to challenge and sharpen one another.” She enjoyed the exposure to litigating that she got as a student. In addition, the teaching methods at Trinity prepared her for courtroom situations where she would have to give an answer and prepare responses on the spot.
Tiffany also appreciated the opportunity to learn how faith can be integrated into any area of practice. “The intersection of faith and law is not reserved for constitutional or policy issues. There are professors who practice everything from wills and trusts and family law to criminal defense and traditional civil litigation,” she says.
Tiffany graduated first in her class at Trinity Law School! Since then, she has enjoyed a very successful career trajectory. Her first job out of law school was at the Children’s Law Center in Los Angeles, representing children in dependency proceedings. Later, she went on to represent parents and eventually the county in these same proceedings. She then served as Deputy County Counsel with the County of Orange Child Protection Team. Recently, she was appointed Commissioner for the Orange County Superior Court!
Tiffany so enjoyed her time at Trinity that when she received the opportunity to become a professor, she eagerly accepted! She says, “I am proud to say that I have returned to Trinity as a professor!” At Trinity, she helped design a Juvenile Dependency class for the online program. She enjoys helping new law students prepare for their careers.
To those who are considering a donation to Trinity, she says, “As a former student and current professor, I am proud of the space that Trinity holds within the legal community. The administration and faculty strive to maintain the highest level of academic excellence while giving a voice and an opportunity to so many, like myself, who would otherwise be unable to access a legal education. So many of the alumni are doing great work for the ‘least of these’ in a wide range of legal practices.”