Suzanne Billam

Hi! My name is Suzanne Billam. I am a second-year student from Overland Park, Kan. I began my college education at Kansas State University, taking an array of pre-health courses. I transferred to KU’s School of Nursing in Kansas City, Kan., to receive my BSN. During my undergraduate experience, I was involved in various activities such as Greek Life, Cadaver Dissection Team, and K-State Singers – a traveling singing ensemble.

After graduation, I started working as a Labor and Delivery RN at a very busy birthing hospital in Kansas City. Although this career has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, I continued to remain very interested in how medicine and law related. I knew that I wanted to explore a law degree, and possibly use it within the health field.

As I began my search and application process, I was unsure which school would fit my needs. I was a non-traditional student with a family, and committed to remaining in the Kansas City area. Visiting KU Law and Green Hall allowed me to visualize myself as a student, and learn more about the dynamics of incoming student. I learned that I was not alone in returning to school as a non-traditional student – there was actually a student organization designated just for them – and I discovered that several students either carpool from Kansas City or take the K-10 connector bus from the Edwards Campus, just minutes from my home.

Ultimately, the biggest draw in my decision to attend KU Law was the many involvement opportunities, mainly the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, one of 11 clinics and externships which KU offers. I saw a way to integrate my education and employment background into my study of the law, in an applicable way. The Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic provides legal aid to individuals referred from the Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care Clinic in Kansas City, Kan., a clinic that I participated in as a nursing student. This clinic has offered me direct client case management and has exposed me to a variety of areas of law, all while working under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

I’m so happy that you too are considering KU Law for your legal education. I encourage you to schedule a visit up to Green Hall and even sit in on a first-year class! If you have any questions or concerns about attending law school or my personal experience here at KU, please don’t hesitate to contact me at sbillam@ku.edu.