“Got a Minute?” with Cat Grana, 1L
Welcome to Ƶ’s “Got a Minute?” series. These are fun, short-answer interviews with 20 rapid-fire questions. We’ll find students throughout William H. Gates Hall as they study, wait for class or hangout with their classmates.
This week’s “Got a Minute?” interview is with Cat Grana, 1L.
Ƶ: Are you originally from Seattle, and if not, where?
Cat Grana (CG): I'm from Portland, Oregon, but I moved here from Los Angeles.
Ƶ: What's one interesting fact about where you're from?
CG: I lived really close to a nickel arcade over in Milwaukie, so that was kind of cool to live nearby. I don't think they accept nickels anymore, but it's still technically a nickel-operating arcade
Ƶ: Where did you earn your undergraduate degree?
CG: I got it from the University of Oregon.
Ƶ: Did you take time off between undergrad and law school?
CG: Yes, I took about five years off. I worked at a couple of different places before coming here. The first place was called Jackson Street Youth Services. They have homeless shelters for teenagers and young kids, and then they also provide services for young adults that are at risk of homelessness. After that, I worked for Benton County, in Corvallis, Oregon, and I worked in the DA 's office there. Then, I moved to Los Angeles and worked at an engineering company that worked with personal injury lawyers, so legal-ish stuff.
Ƶ: Who would play you in a movie about your law school journey?
CG: Claire Danes.
Ƶ: What's the funniest or most unexpected thing a professor has done or said in class?
CG: I thought it was fantastic. On Halloween, Professor Schnapper showed up in an RBG costume and was wearing the wig too, but it kept shifting around his head so at some points the bun was near his face.
Ƶ: How many glass structures are in the courtyard?
CG: I think there's four.
Ƶ: Correct! Which fictional lawyer do you think would make the best law professor?
CG: The only person that's coming to mind is Saul Goodman, but that's not a good answer. Actually, Kim Wexler, his love interest throughout the show. She would be good.
Ƶ: Where's your favorite part of the library?
CG: It kind of depends on the day. Sometimes I like to be over at the standing desks. But I think over here in the reference area is also really nice too.
Ƶ: Where's your favorite spot on UW campus, excluding William H. Gates Hall?
CG: I don't know if it's part of the campus, but I like the Montlake Bridge and The Cut. It's cool to see the water and stuff like that. I know there's a couple of spots on campus you can see the water, but I like that area.
Ƶ: How many different Law & Order TV shows have there been?
CG: I don't know. 18. Is it 18?
Ƶ: It's actually eight. Which historical legal case would you time travel to witness in person?
CG: It's only because it's on my mind right now, but I was reading about the Lawrence v. Texas case. That one was about Texas's sodomy laws. It ended up going up to the U.S. Supreme Court, and they ended up overturning the Texas sodomy laws and saying that they were unconstitutional. It was in 2003, so not that long ago,
Ƶ: Which legal term would make the best name for a band.
CG: Pro se.
Ƶ: Where's your favorite spot to get a bite of food nearby?
CG: It depends on what I want to eat, but I really like Café Allegro.
Ƶ: If you had to argue in favor of pineapple on pizza in court, what would your opening statement be?
CG: I would start off with “The great thing with America is our ability to choose and our ability to pursue happiness. And while for a lot of people pineapple on pizza is not an ideal thing that makes them happy, there is a large group of people where it does make them happy. And being able to explore that and obtain that does not infringe upon the rights of people who do not want pineapple on pizza because they can just forgo eating that.
Ƶ: What was the most recent class you attended and what was a highlight?
CG: The last class I attended would have been Professor Nguyen’s property class yesterday. One of the professors on campus mentioned to me that property is not a super fun topic to teach, but she does such a good job of keeping it engaging. And I'm learning a lot.
Ƶ: How old is Ƶ?
CG: 125.
Ƶ: What was the name of Reese Witherspoon’s character in “Legally Blonde”?
CG: Oh. Elle Woods.
Ƶ: What area of law would you like to pursue after you receive your J.D.?
CG: I'm really interested in data privacy, so anything regarding making sure people's information is kept safely, especially by all the companies that have a ton of information on everyone.
Ƶ: What's one interesting thing about you that people may not know?
CG: I really, really like the Chocolate Xtreme Blizzard from Dairy Queen. Those are by far my favorite food.