I have always known that to be a good lawyer, I would have to be a good researcher. While I
knew very little about the legal field in high school, I always recognised that at the heart of
law was legal research. Therefore, when there was a call for Editorial Assistant applications, I
jumped at the chance. What might be surprising to most is that I was more nervous when I
got in than when I applied. “The work begins, be careful what you wish for”, my brain would
taunt me with the prospects of my failure.

Many people believe that editors within the Strathmore Law Review are quiet, antisocial
introverts who rarely relate with each other. I thought this too. For me, the SLR only
promised lots of work, not a warm research community. Although I had happily signed up for
this, it now seemed more daunting. I was fortunate enough not only to engage with
interesting research and concepts within this space but also to interact with intelligent and
kind people. In my first and second years in the Strathmore Law Review, I was assigned two
mentors (each for one year). Both mentors guided me through the editorial process, helped
with class assignments and coursework and even gave me grace when I was struggling with
school. Whether it was reading my Constitutional Law essay before I submitted it for
marking, rescheduling a meeting to let me study for one of my first tort law C.A.T.s, or even
just sitting and talking with me.

I grew very close to one of these mentors, and we became very close friends. Our editorial
meetings would always end with laughter or funny selfies with each of us posing with our
stuffed animals. We kept each other accountable and ensured work was always done, but also,
we kept each other laughing and built a community of our own within the warm SLR
community.

Within my time in the SLR, I have built skills that are invaluable to my legal career, such as
how to find the hidden gems of legal sources, the formulation of proper legal research
questions, the complex aspects of a paper that aid the audience in understanding their author
like a framework, attention to detail and the appropriate citation of legal sources. These are
skills that have not only aided me in class assignments and examinations but also have
propelled me into spaces that have offered me experiences of a lifetime in other co-curricular.
The skills earned within the SLR go beyond legal academia. Time management and
balancing different tasks are skills that I have learned from this institution, preparing me for
the workforce.

With my tenure in the SLR, I have not only gained invaluable skills that help me in class and
in the legal field, but I have also gained friends and experiences which have shaped me into
the person I am today. I have never been more glad that a promise (the promise of only work
I had initially anticipated) was never kept.

Article Written by, Jaynerose Ochieng