Law School Life
August 12, 2024 – “From a young age, my aspirations were clear: I wanted to be a lawyer,” says Taylor Bellardino, BA’22 (Flor). In elementary school, she seized the opportunity to accompany her father to work for “take your child to work day,” where she presented a small project to company executives. “I distinctly remember the rush of excitement as I grabbed the microphone, eagerly engaging with everyone in the room,” she says. Her persuasive arguments left a lasting impression, prompting the executives to predict her future as a lawyer. Thus began Bellardino’s journey toward law.
Arriving at FDU in 2018, Bellardino pursued her passion by majoring in government and law. “College is the time to explore and discover your true interests,” she says. Immersing herself in the prelaw program affirmed her earlier dreams, propelling her to establish the FDU Prelaw Honor Society and co-found the Legal Student Speaker Series. She engaged in extracurricular activities, including serving on the Student Government Association and joining the Politics and Law Club, among others.
“When you are genuinely passionate about something, excellence becomes second nature,” Bellardino says. She flourished in mock trial, sharpening her skills in simulated courtroom scenarios. As vice president, and later president, of FDU’s Mock Trial she garnered accolades, receiving the prestigious Mock Trial Top Attorney award three years in a row.
Her outstanding achievements did not go unnoticed — Bellardino was the 2022 Florham Campus Student Pinnacle Award recipient. She spoke at the commencement ceremony at MetLife Stadium. During her time at FDU, she was also inducted into the Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society, Pre-Law Honor Society, and received numerous awards, including the Becton College Department of Social Sciences Award; the Schenck Price Smith & King Pre-Law Academic Scholarship Award; and FDU’s Pre-Law Leadership Award.
Subsequently, she began her legal education at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, with a concentration in litigation and dispute resolution. Bellardino is now a rising third year law student.
Bellardino attends the 2024 Federal Bar Association Thurgood Marshall Memorial Moot Court Competition
In March 2024, she received the Overall Oralist Award at the Federal Bar Association Thurgood Marshall Memorial Moot Court Competition in Washington, DC. Recently, she was appointed vice chairperson of the Moot Court Board for the 2024-25 term and received the Outstanding First Year Award from the Moot Court Board, which recognized her as the top performer among all second-year law students.
As part of her law school training, Bellardino has completed a clinical experience at the Clinic for Asylum, Refugee & Emigrant Services (CARES) at Villanova Law. She advocated for individuals seeking asylum. “This experience has been incredibly rewarding,” she says. “It is a chance to apply my knowledge and skills in a meaningful way.” It echoes the core motivation behind her legal career—empowering those who have been silenced by legal challenges.
As a first-generation law student, her parents’ encouragement was instrumental to her success. She is also grateful to her professors — “FDU provided me with invaluable opportunities,” she says. “It is where I found the confidence to embrace my potential and become the person I am today.”