Some people choose law school because it feels like a logical next step. For Vanessa Rodriguez, that decision started much earlier–and closer to home.
Growing up in La Puente, California, Rodriguez saw the criminal legal system not as an institution, but as something that affected her family directly. When her brother became involved in the juvenile justice system and eventually faced serious charges as a teenager, the experience left an everlasting impression.
“Having my brother go through the judicial system… and not just my brother, but other family members as well… I think that experience is what made me want to become a criminal defense attorney,” Rodriguez said.
That exposure not only sparked interest but also clarified direction for Rodriguez’s career.
By the time she was 15, Rodriguez already knew she wanted to become a defense attorney, but long before law school, she got something even more formative–access.
Through a school internship program, she helped find herself. Rodriguez ended up working in the very criminal defense office that once represented her brother. Her father called the attorney directly. The attorney’s first question was simple: Whether she needed to be paid. Rodriguez’s father told him no. “Bring her on down.”
Learning the Law Before Law School
As a high school student, Rodriguez commuted with her dad to a defense office in downtown LA. She spent full days in the workplace–dressed in a suit her mother helped her pick out–observing court proceedings, filing documents, and slowly being treated less like a student and more like part of the team.
One of her earliest experiences was sitting through a sentencing hearing after riding the train with an attorney from the office. That internship eventually became a paid summer job–and the beginning of a long-term mentorship network that would shape her career.
UCLA, Music, and Staying Grounded
Rodriguez went on to UCLA, studying political science and philosophy while continuing her long-standing connection to music. She played the trumpet, participated in ethnomusicology courses, and performed in a Latin jazz band, taking advantage of everything UCLA has to offer.
Why She Took Time Before Law School
After graduating, Rodriguez didn’t go straight into law school. Instead, she returned to the same criminal defense office and worked there full-time for about three years because she wanted experience and reassurance to make sure that the path she’d been on since high school was still the right one.
Life at Law School
Rodriguez attended Southwestern Law School, where she leaned into clinics, internships, and hands-on legal work.
One defining moment was a short stint working with the district attorney’s office. It confirmed what she already suspected–she wasn’t on the prosecution side of the courtroom.
Clinics–especially those involving immigration and juvenile matters–became her preferred training ground. They gave her real cases, real clients, and real stakes.
“I think everybody should do a clinical in law school.. It’s a way to get actual experience,” Rodriguez said.
Study Abroad
During law school, Rodriguez also took advantage of study abroad programs–something she initially didn’t even know existed in legal education.
She studied in Curaçao and later in Argentina, where she worked in a civil courthouse and observed how another legal system functioned in practice.
Rodriguez recalled that when she was in Buenos Aires during the World Cup, court operations would literally pause as the entire country stopped for matches.
Coming Full Circle
After law school and passing the bar, Rodriguez’s return to the defense world felt less like a new beginning and more like a continuation.
The attorney who once gave her first internship had become a judge. The office she grew up in had evolved–and Rodriguez had officially stepped into the profession she’d been building toward since high school.
Why This Conversation Matters
This episode is for:
- Law students trying to understand what criminal defense actually looks like in practice
- Young attorneys navigating high-pressure courtroom environments
- Professionals thinking about how early experiences shape long-term career paths
- Anyone interested in how the justice system is experienced, not just in theory, but through real people and real cases
It’s a conversation about more than a legal career. It’s about how proximity becomes purpose, and how lived experience can quietly shape the direction of an entire professional life.
Listen to the Full Episode
Grab a glass of wine and join Miguel Custodio and Vineet Dubey for this conversation with Vanessa Rodriguez.
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April 21, 2026