Mazamir Yousefi has wanted to be a lawyer since she was a sophomore at Mission San Jose High School in Northern California.

“I had the opportunity to meet California Senator Ellen Corbett and after talking with her about the gang-ridden area I grew up in and how I had seen my own classmates receive harsh sentences for minor crimes, she helped me see that I could make a difference and defend kids just like my classmates in the future,” she says. “I've also always been involved in performing and acting, so being a trial attorney gives me the perfect opportunity to do both.”

When it came time to pick a college, UCI was at the top of her list.

“The atmosphere of the campus was incredibly inviting and I felt a sense of community as I walked around Aldrich Park,” she says. “I also love how close UCI is to the beach, which is where I spend most of my free time.”

Majoring in political science was a natural choice for the aspiring attorney, while her interests in human rights and international law led her to pursue a double major in international studies. She ended up earning induction to honors societies in both fields.

As a freshman, Yousefi got involved with UCI Mock Trial and found her niche. Over her four years at UCI, she has accumulated sixteen individual awards including recognition as the Best Defense Opener at the New York City Downtown Invitational. She played a critical role in helping her teams bring home second and third place finishes at nationals, earning the anteaters first place rankings in the nation for two consecutive years, an honor no other team in the nation has been able to duplicate.

“Mazamir graduates as captain of the number one ranked mock trial team in the United States, the winner of eight trial tournaments, and the most successful attorney/witness in UC Irvine history,” says Justin Bernstein, attorney and Mock Trial coach. “But more than that, I am proud of her kindness, sincerity, and spirit. She will touch lives.”

In her spare time, Yousefi has worked as a teaching assistant for Bernstein’s art of trial law class and as a consultant for the Campus Organizations Resources & Education office. Her summers involved working for UCI’s Student Parent Orientation Program and teaching high school student trial advocacy closer to home at Stanford University. She was also a member of the Social Sciences Dean’s Ambassadors Council and an active volunteer at local senior citizen homes, food banks and OC Habitat for Humanity.   

She is planning to attend law school in the fall.

On June 15, Yousefi will have the honor of addressing her fellow classmates as the student speaker at the 4:30 p.m. commencement ceremony for social sciences. Watch the ceremonies live online.

-Heather Ashbach, Social Sciences Communications