A Miami native, Alexa Garcia Chinchilla, was ecstatic to attend the University of Miami as an undergraduate journalism major. The summer before her senior year of college, she interned on Capitol Hill. She worked for a congressman who was very passionate about immigration policy. Her work there spurred her interest in the law and inspired her to stay at the University of Miami and pursue law school.
As a law student, Chinchilla was the editor-in-chief of the Inter-American Law Review, which helped her refine her writing and opened her network to IALR alumni who shared her passion for Latin American issues. “Being part of IALR was very formative because it taught me how to pay close attention to detail in writing,” says Chinchilla.
She was also a member of the Charles C. Papy Moot Court Board, which improved her oral advocacy skills and opened her eyes to the importance of brief writing. She participated in the Litigation Skills Program where she was awarded the John Evans Memorial Scholarship. Chinchilla was also a fellow at the Center for Ethics and Public Service with Professor Anthony Alfieri, where she helped organize ethics-related panels and programming. Additionally, she participated in the Immigration Clinic, Cuban American Bar Association, Hispanic Law Student Association, and Dean’s Cup.
During law school, Chinchilla worked as a law clerk at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, where she became an associate upon graduation, focusing primarily on commercial litigation. She spent a year clerking for Judge Corali Lopez-Castro at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida before returning to Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, where she now practices bankruptcy law in addition to her previous practice.
Miami Law’s network and professor support stand out most to Chinchilla. “The professors truly care about their students and are invested in their success,” says Chinchilla. “The school also does a great job of connecting us to professionals in the community.”
Chinchilla stays connected to Miami law through mentorship programs and events.
In her free time, Chinchilla likes spending time with her family, including her husband, Andres Chinchilla, J.D. ‘22, who she met in law school, and her labrador retriever, “Lady.” She advises students to “not be shy to reach out to alumni. Accept help and advice because we were in your shoes once. If it weren’t for people going out of their way to advise and guide me, I would not have known how to navigate the legal field.”
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