Growing up in Latvia, Maya Shulman wanted to be a cardiac surgeon. She initially pursued that ambition, studying medicine at the Medical Academy in Latvia until moving to the U.S. However, she quickly learned that most of her educational credits would not be accepted in U.S. medical schools, which meant she would have to start over from scratch. So, instead, Maya elected to study psychology, earning her Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College in 1995. After moving to the West Coast, she pursued a career in law, enrolling with the University of West Los Angeles (UWLA) School of Law.

“I chose UWLA School of Law because of the program's flexibility,” explained Maya. “At the time, I had to take care of a newborn while working part-time as a paralegal. UWLA suited my schedule, allowing me to study in between my other responsibilities. It wasn’t easy juggling this schedule, but I couldn’t have done it any other way.”

Former UWLA Student Becomes a Professor

Recently, Maya decided to return to her alma mater to teach. She felt that introducing a law school class on family formation would benefit UWLA students who might want to follow a similar path. Maya believes the “Surrogacy and Adoption” class she teaches at the UWLA School of Law is the first of its kind in California.

“California is at the forefront of family formation,” added Maya. “It is one of the most liberal states when it comes to adoption and fertility. If you're practicing law in California, learning about family formation is important. Plus, this has crossovers into all other areas of law. The class I’m teaching is an elective, but one I think all students will benefit from. Plus, there are no law books on this subject, so it is much more of an immersive class built around a robust discussion about the topic. Students are encouraged to share their opinions, leading to some interesting conversations. This class is like no other.”

As a former student, Maya praises UWLA as an important option for nontraditional students who must balance career and family responsibilities. The class work is no less rigorous, but professors design the curriculum to accommodate students who must balance professional and personal demands.

After earning her Juris Doctor from UWLA School of Law in 1999, Maya became a law associate for an employment litigation firm. Later, she opened her private practice, specializing in family law, specifically family formation law. Today, Shulman Family Law Group offers legal representation to those dealing with family and family formation law issues, including divorce, custody, adoptions, surrogacy, and matters related to assisted reproductive technologies.

In providing this specialized focus on family formation law, Maya has successfully combined her knowledge of the law with her background in medicine. “One of the advantages I have is my medical training, which helps me understand the science behind reproductive advancements, thus allowing me to explain it to my clients,” stated Maya. “It is absolutely amazing what medicine and science have achieved to support family formation. Bringing medicine and fertility law together is very appealing to me.”

Nurturing the Next Generation of Family Formation Attorneys

Maya admits that it makes her proud to know that the class she will teach could inspire the next generation of attorneys focused on family formation and adoption law. She hopes others will follow in her footsteps.

She applauds UWLA students for their determination to advance their education. She knows just how challenging that can be, particularly when raising a young child. Maya remembers countless hours studying with her daughter at her side. Today, her daughter is a doctor raising her own child.

“I’m so proud of my daughter, having completed medical school and raising my wonderful grandson at the same time,” concluded Maya. “She has worked so hard and has become such an amazing doctor. And I love that we are both accomplished professional women. It brings me tremendous joy that we are both American Medical Women’s Association members.”