Time flies when you’re having fun. That can be said for the three years I spent at GULC obtaining my JD as well as the 40 years I spent serving our country. Upon graduation, I joined the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and provided legal advice to soldiers and commanders in the United States and overseas for eight years. Upon leaving active duty, I served as a Supervisory Communications Attorney for 22 years and a Supervisory Equal Employment Opportunity Attorney for four years at the Federal Communications Commission. For the remaining four years, I served as a Supervisory Equal Employment Opportunity Attorney at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The remainder of this time, I have been enjoying my children and grandchildren in my retirement. As I return to GULC for our reunion, I’m looking forward to having more fun as I reconnect with my classmates.

My experience at Georgetown Law was challenging and amazing! I was raised in a loving and proud, but generationally disadvantaged family of 11 children. Our reality meant that having any job was a good thing and having a career was only a dream. Growing up, everyone worked in the fields picking vegetables, including the youngest of us. Only two family members had completed high school. I was not one of them. I became a mother at 16 which meant I had to leave high school and earn a GED. I set my sights on breaking the cycle of poverty through higher education by working to support my family while attending college at night. My decision to pursue this dream changed our lives beyond my imagination. When I was admitted to Georgetown Law as a single parent to a 6 year old, I had dreams that earning a Georgetown Law degree would make our small family’s life better. My Georgetown experience changed our lives beyond my imagination. My son was a constant source of encouragement, and to his credit, he earned a Master’s degree himself and is now a successful financial advisor. My daughter was born during Spring Break of my third year which was a challenge, but it renewed my desire to succeed for my growing family. After graduation, I met my husband and we welcomed our youngest son who received his Master’s degree from Syracuse.
Georgetown gave me the background and confidence to know I would succeed. Being a Georgetown graduate not only made it possible to get my foot in the door professionally, but it changed the trajectory of my life and my family’s future. Now retired, my husband and I are admiring our children and grandchildren, and their many adventures and success they have made for themselves.
As a proud Latina, I credit Georgetown for breaking one family’s cycle of poverty and lack of higher education and for making it possible for students like me to make their own dreams a reality. Finally, I credit Georgetown’s administration for creating programs that support the challenges all students face.
As a proud Georgetown graduate, I learned to help pay it forward by doing what I can to make the lives of others better. After graduation, I served as President of Maryland PTA where I advocated for increased spending for education for disadvantaged children and more programs serving toddlers and preschool children as a member of the Kirwan Commission. I also spent time advising young students to have faith in their educational path and to reach for the stars. I was proud to be appointed by Maryland Governor Moore to Chair the Judicial Nomination Commission, where I enjoyed meeting many new lawyers charting their own path in the law.

Elizabeth Ysla, Class of 1985

In 1992, along with two other people who all met through an advertisement in the NY Law Journal, I started Ellenoff Grossman & Schole. Over the past 32+ years, EGS has grown from three lawyer to 125. What started as a corporate/real estate firm, now includes labor and employment, intellectual property, tax, litigation, and immigration. We took our first company public in 1994 and now represent more than 70 public companies and 35 investment banks. Although I am still one of the managing partners, we have already brought in the next generation of leaders who comprise half of the management committee. On a personal note, my 40th wedding anniversary in next year, my three kids are all happily married. I also have 4 grandkids (all under 3) and a fifth is due in October.

Admitted to US Supreme Court with GULC grads June 22, 2023. Alderman & Hilgers Assoc.

Married a Foreign Service Officer, we took the opportunity to professionally visit: Thailand, Oahu, Jamaica, and South Africa. Took rest and relaxation in The Netherlands, Italy, France, Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, and Singapore.