Class of 2023 graduate Alyx Bogus, J.D
Class of 2023 graduate Alyx Bogus, J.D. (Steve Zylius/UCI)

While growing up in Oceanside, Alyx Bogus says, she was “really into musical theater. I always really loved literature, theater and the creative arts. This background in arts has led to my interest in copyright and trademark law. I loved being involved with the arts, but I wasn’t going to have a career in performing.” Thoughts of becoming a lawyer emerged during her senior year of high school, and when Bogus graduated from college, she found an ethos of support and community with UCI’s School of Law that she didn’t see elsewhere. Bogus has flourished during her three years in law school, participating in the Intellectual Property Law Society, Moot Court Competition, Business Law Society, and Entertainment and Sports Law Society; and she has received several dean’s and faculty awards. After graduation, Bogus will start studying for her bar exam, and she plans to pursue a practice in intellectual property protections. “There’s a serious need for reevaluation and revision of the Copyright Act,” Bogus says. “It was passed almost 50 years ago and simply isn’t properly tailored to address the internet and the way culture has changed. In my practice, my goal will be to help support creators and artists as they navigate the law as it is now and, hopefully, also advocate for change.”

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I’ll be jumping straight into bar preparation. While that will take up most of the summer, I’ll still be able to have some fun celebrating a dear friend’s wedding. After surviving the bar, I’ll be taking a trip to Europe with my mother to celebrate and, hopefully, travel through Austria, Germany, Switzerland and more! Then, in the fall, I’ll begin working as a first-year associate at O’Melveny & Myers LLP in downtown L.A.

What advice would you give to your first-year self?

The advice I’d give myself or any first-year law student is to invest in your friendships and relationships just as you invest in your academics. Law school is one of the toughest and most trying academic experiences, and it’s easy to allow yourself to be subsumed by outlines, readings, rule memorization and just stress. But it’s also the time to form strong bonds with those going through this same crucible of legal madness. Take the time to not just have study sessions but talk about your lives, get boba, make inside jokes and go to the beach. Having that group of supportive friends and peers will make the hours toiling through outlines, essays and legal research together infinitely more bearable and will last long after graduation and the bar.

“In a school full of incredible students, Alyx Bogus stands out. I had the unique pleasure of working with Alyx in various capacities during her three years here … and in every role, she was a superstar, demonstrating a unique combination of innate intelligence, unparalleled work ethic and generous spirit. We are so lucky that she chose UCI Law, and I have no doubt she will go on to do great things.”

– Rachel Croskery-Roberts, associate dean for lawyering skills, School of Law

Once your practice is established, who would be your dream clients?

One of the exciting things about this stage of life is how much is unknown! I really can’t pinpoint a dream client because there are so many opportunities and unknowns. After my experiences performing, I’d love to be involved in the legal affairs around the creation and production of live theater, films or television, because I’d love to support the creator and performers involved and help find ways to assist in the creation of their vision. And I’d also love to be involved in advocacy projects, fighting for the changes our legal system so desperately needs, both in the field of intellectual property and outside it. But there are simply so many clients and issues that present so many ways to be involved in creative spaces and to advocate for change that it’s impossible to choose what the dream client would be.