My name is Nick Berke, and I'm a 2L at UCLA School of Law. I grew up in Los Angeles, but moved to NYC when I was 18 to study Drama at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, after which I built a decade-long career in professional theater: first as a performer, then in creative and managerial leadership roles on Broadway national and international tours.

Somewhere along the way, I realized the parts of the job I loved most weren't onstage; rather, they were the moments I spent advocating for my fellow actors, whether that meant pushing back on unsafe working conditions or negotiating better policies for a touring cast. That instinct is what eventually pointed me toward law school. And after nearly ten years on the road, coming home to UCLA and Los Angeles felt like an easy call, though it wasn't just about geography. From my first conversations with current students and alumni, I kept hearing that people here genuinely root for each other, and that held true from day one. Given my nontraditional background, I wanted to study somewhere I could bring my full self into the classroom rather than leave my priors at the door, and UCLA Law has been exactly that kind of place. The students never let ambition overtake a community mindset, and the professors here have been genuinely invested in both their subjects and in helping us find our own ways into them. I've felt supported at every step of figuring out what kind of lawyer I want to be.

I also knew I wanted to end up in transactional and corporate work, ideally somewhere I could put my firsthand knowledge of the entertainment industry to use, and UCLA's strength and connections in entertainment and business law made it the obvious choice. I now serve on the board of the Entertainment Law Association and am a member of the Business Law Association. This past summer, I was a 1L Summer Associate at Kirkland & Ellis in Los Angeles, and I'll be heading back as a 2L Summer Associate in 2027.

I love talking about my somewhat unusual road from Broadway tour buses to law school, so please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions about my experience or about UCLA Law!

Contact Nick at studentambassador1@law.ucla.edu.

For questions related to the application or admissions, you can email admissions@law.ucla.edu.