Tell our readers about your experience coaching a debate team in China.

I worked with high school-age students in Shenzhen, which is a large city in southern China. While interning with the Washoe County DA as an undergrad, everyone recommended I take a gap year. I was really involved with college debate, so this was a perfect opportunity for me. The travel opportunities were incredible, and I loved (and still do!) coaching debate. Like the law, debate can be very interdisciplinary, which keeps things interesting. We had the opportunity to debate a number of great topics, including universal

As president of Society of Advocates, what do you believe are the organization's noteworthy accomplishments this year?

This was a year of many firsts for Society of Advocates. We held our first virtual Client Counseling Competition last fall, our first virtual Nevada Justice Association Mock Trial and Schreck Gaming Law Competitions this spring, and we will hold our first virtual Clark County Bar Association Moot Court Competition this year as well. At the same time, many of our members competed virtually for the first time in competitions all over the country. These activities are the

What was it like growing up the youngest of 13 siblings?

Growing up with 12 siblings was simultaneously one of the most rewarding and chaotic experiences. Being the youngest, I was able to see 12 different people walk 12 different paths of life. That’s 12x the life lessons! They were quintessential in making me the person I am today. When you’re one of thirteen children, it’s hard to be selfish. I was conditioned to always think of others.

What takes a native Californian to New York for college and to Las Vegas for law school?

I absolutely loved growing up in California. The calm, laid-back

How have your linguistics studies as an undergrad at Cal been helpful to you in law school?

Getting my degree in linguistics has been beneficial in the transition into law in numerous unexpected ways. The first being in statute interpretation because a lot of the linguistic study that I did in undergrad involved breaking language into its smallest components and understanding how each individual portion functioned to create the overall meaning. This helps in statute interpretation because I am able to figure out how each part of the statute impacts the overall meaning.

And you played rugby

What brought you from your native Illinois to Nevada?

As much as I’ll miss the Prairie State, there’s a charming beauty in the West that attracts a nature nut like myself. After spending a couple summers in Reno, I grew fond of the unique character of Nevada and its expanding opportunities, Boyd being an excellent example. Plus, it was in the 20’s when I left Illinois last week and 70 when I returned to Vegas. Do I need to say much more?

How are you enjoying serving as a first-year rep on the Student Bar Association?

It’s been a privilege to serve on SBA, which has provided me the

You hold a PhD in cognitive psychology. How has that background informed/influenced your law study?

Learning the law has brought my psychology research to life. My primary research focused on false memories in older adults, and a secondary line of research focused on motor control and perception. Jumping into the law, I was immediately drawn to litigation. I see the courtroom as a place where dynamics of human behavior are on full display. Also, so much of what I did as a scientist—the research process, publishing, writing code, digging into neuroscience equipment and human movement trackers

How fun... and challenging... was it to be a high school debate coach?

I absolutely loved being a high school speech and debate coach! Growing up, I was a very shy kid; taking speech and debate really helped bring me out of my shell. It was rewarding to assist my fellow introverts. Also, proud to say the high school I coached at was the alma matter of Boyd legend, Dr. Brian Wall.
That said, like any kind of teaching, it had its fair share of challenges. In the hyper-competitive world of high school speech and debate, winning sometimes feels like the only thing that matters (if you haven’t

You worked in Amsterdam for a time, yes?

Yes! I did my Master’s degree there in urban geography. I was interested in affordable housing and racial segregation and how that affected feelings of belonging to a neighborhood. After I graduated, I worked for a non-profit in the social housing sector. I organized conferences and field visits where social housing associations, research institutes, and private business would gather to discuss topics like tenant engagement, collective and cooperative housing, financing models for affordable housing, energy efficient retrofitting of homes, or

How has drumming shaped your outlook on life?

While I was drumming for Utah's drum corps, one instructor would always say, "Don't make the same mistake twice." I try to apply that saying to everyday life. I know I'm going to make mistakes, but if I never make the same one twice, I'll probably be a pretty good person and lawyer in no time soon. In other words, drumming gave me a positive outlook on making mistakes. 

Is there a drummer you idolize?

Yes! Benny Greb, Travis Barker, and Neil Peart can lay some filthy beats (that's a good thing). 

Let's hear your top three experiences while a

Tell our readers the meaning of your name, Ziwei, and the significance it holds for you.

Ziwei has three meanings in my language: 1) a purple flower, 2) north star, 3) symbol of royalty. I only go with the first meaning because a plant is persistent and strenuous. 

You emigrated from China to the United States in 2008. What has been your experience in the past dozen or so years?

My experience is that the United States is still a land of opportunity with endless possibilities. The American people welcome immigrants who are willing to start a new life in a strange country. Everyone I have