Student Spotlight: Jacquelyn Guh '27

Before she ever cracked open a casebook, rising 2L Jacquelyn Guh had already traveled the world—cage diving with sharks, trekking Machu Picchu, swimming with dolphins in the Amazon, and celebrating the full moon in Thailand. “I always say that I’ve lived my life in reverse,” she says with a smile. “I did my retirement first.” Now, as a nontraditional law student, Jacquelyn is diving into the legal field with the same spirit of curiosity and sense of adventure that defined her globetrotting years.

Raised in Palos Verdes by immigrant parents—her mother from Mexico and her father from Taiwan—Jacquelyn grew up navigating multiple cultures. “I was code-switching before I knew what that meant,” she reflects. “Having two cultures in one identity taught me how to read people and move through different spaces. It also made me familiar with how systems overlook certain voices. That plays a big role in wanting to speak up.”

Despite her early ambition to be the first female president—a dream she proudly declared at her kindergarten graduation—Jacquelyn spent much of her twenties abroad, teaching online and immersing herself in life across the UK, Macau, Spain, Colombia, Israel, the UAE, and beyond. “I always knew I wanted to go to law school,” she says. “I just took the scenic route.”

That route helped her build the kind of adaptive, high-stakes communication skills that now serve her well in law school. “Living and working all over the world taught me to stay calm in unfamiliar, high-pressure situations,” she says. “When you don’t know the language or anyone around you, you learn how to connect. That’s high emotional intelligence—and that translates directly into legal work.”

That adaptability helped her face the steep learning curve of her 1L year at California Western School of Law (CWSL), not to mention a broken arm just before her first exam. “One-handed typing forced me to slow down,” she says. “I had to get really good at asking for help and sticking to a schedule.” Still, she thrived, learning to love the historical underpinnings of legal principles, earning her first academic achievement award, and hosting class-wide events to bring classmates together. “I love hosting themed events, making Pinterest-inspired snacks,” she says. “It’s a fun way to decompress and build community.”

That sense of connection has been central to Jacquelyn’s law school experience so far. She’s found inspiration in professors like Professor Nancy Marcus—“the mentor from every great law school movie”—and Professor Iris Fugate, who’s “always hyping you up.” She’s built strong ties with her study group and found a mentor in Honorable Judge Moring, who she met at CWSL’s judicial reception and who welcomed her into new legal spaces and networks. “He made those rooms feel personal and not intimidating,” Jacquelyn says.

This summer, she’s found a way to combine her passion for travel with her pursuit of a legal education, starting with a judicial internship in Las Vegas followed by a JAG externship with the Air Force and Space Force in Guam, both supported by the newly established Carolyn H. Popp Summer Internship Assistance Fund Award. “These placements are a chance to step out of my comfort zone and experience two very different legal environments,” she says. In Vegas, she’s immersed in trial work, gaining a full view of trial work from the bench’s perspective. In Guam, she’s eager to explore a potential future in JAG.

Her calendar for next year is just as full: she’ll be serving as Vice President of the Asian Pacific American Law School Association (APALSA), participating in the Innocence and Justice Clinic (IJC), working as an Honors Instructor, and serving as the Student Bar Association’s liaison to the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA).

Each of these roles ties into something personal for Jacquelyn. Her work with the IJC, for instance, is rooted in family experience. “I’ve seen what incarceration does to a family,” she says. “It ripples far beyond the person behind bars. If I can help reunite even one family, it would be incredibly meaningful.”
As APALSA VP, she’s eager to foster community and representation: “Being the child of immigrants, it’s important to me to be in spaces where Asians are represented and empowered.” And as SDCBA rep, she hopes to increase student involvement and help others connect with professional opportunities.

For Jackie, fashion is another form of showing up with intention. Voted by her peers as “Most Likely to Turn Court into a Fashion Show,” she sees her wardrobe as part of her professional presence. “Fashion and law go hand in hand,” she says. “It helps me focus and take things seriously. Plus, I finally get to wear everything I shop for!”

Looking ahead, her goals are clear: keep learning, keep thriving, and don’t burn out. “I want to find a post-bar position I’m proud of—ideally one that lets me travel,” she says. “I don’t want to stop exploring.”