The hidden talents of USC Law students take center stage in the new acapella group, Lawcapella.
by Jill Carmack
A singing group of law students seems contradictory, but Musical Director Dana Rueckert of USC Law School’s acapella group Lawcapella, shares how she harmonized her academic and artistic sides.
According to Rueckert, students felt that the law school lacked an artistic community. For cofounders, Zoe Sussman and Juliana Ilvento, Lawcapella was just the answer.
After advertising the idea in the Student Bar Association, it seemed that Sussman and Ilvento were not alone in their search for a creative outlet.
The group has now acquired 17 members and a versatile repertoire of songs.
“We sing everything from Motown to showtunes,” said Rueckert. Her personal favorite is their rendition of Tom Petty’s Freefalling.
Celina Kirchner ‘13 talked about how she balances her hectic schedule with her commitment to the group.
“At lunch, I always try to take a break, and nothing keeps me from studying more than singing.”
“You make time for the things you want to do,” Rueckert added.
The group practices once a week during their lunch breaks and increase their practice hours the closer it is to show times.
“We practice sometimes at night, but those become more of a social gathering,” Kirchner said.
Lawcapella has brought an element of togetherness for the students within their academic community and has connected them with their peers on a more personal level.
The group will perform their next concert in early April, and the lineup is sure to steal the spotlight.
The current 3L members expect to pass the torch on to the 1Ls who, in turn, will recruit new members from the class entering in September.
“We are working on the transition,” Rueckert said. “We hope this new tradition continues with the future law community.”
Photos by Lori Craig
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