Veronica Mendoza Plans to Find Success in Business and Law

Veronica Louise Mendoza took advantage of a UC Law SF program that allowed her to pursue an MBA while earning credits toward her law degree.

This story is part of a series of profiles on members of the incoming JD class of 2026 at UC Law San Francisco.

Veronica Louise Mendoza lived many lives before starting her first year as a JD student at UC Law San Francisco this fall.

At age 25, she had already interviewed celebrities as a teen journalist, worked as an aspiring talent agent in the grueling entertainment industry, helped launch a successful children’s toy product, and earned her MBA.

“I believe my accomplishments are a product of my inherent curiosity and innovative spirit,” she said. “I don’t think twice about giving it my all to see what the best possible outcome could be if I’m doing something that fulfills me.”

Mendoza said she chose UC Law SF primarily for its concurrent degree program, which allowed her to pursue her MBA at the University of Notre Dame while earning credits toward her law degree. This enabled her to shave a full semester off her three law school years. She plans to graduate in December 2025.

“I can walk away with an MBA and JD in four and a half years,” she said.

Born in the Philippines, Mendoza immigrated to the U.S. at three months old with her mother, who started a vocational nursing school in Palo Alto. Her mom went on to launch other successful businesses and make smart investment moves, Mendoza said.

“My mom’s business instincts really paved a path,” she said.

Hard work and high achievement defined Mendoza from a young age. As a teenager, she worked as a Kid Reporter for Time Inc., Sports Illustrated, Scholastic News, and other publications. She covered a wide range of topics, including technology, entertainment, and sports.

She earned a bachelor’s degree at UCLA, where she double-majored in psychology and communication studies. While there, she pursued her dream of working in Hollywood, securing an internship at NBCUniversal and landing a job at an exclusive talent agency. She said she was working to help celebrities obtain money-making deals when she realized she was more interested in business than entertainment.

That’s when she changed careers and started working for the educational tech company GoNoodle, where she was mentored by the company’s general counsel, who wore two hats working in business development and legal affairs.

“That was really inspiring,” Mendoza said. “I got to see how much overlap there was with transactional deals, joint venture opportunities, and the push to execute on corporate strategy.”

At GoNoodle, she used her connections to pitch a new business venture with a German toy company called Tonies, which creates and sells figurines paired with audio boxes that tell stories and promote screen-free entertainment for kids. Within three months, a licensing deal was struck and a new toy product was launched, she said.

At UC Law SF, Mendoza said she wants to gain a better understanding of legal issues around entrepreneurship and new technologies, including artificial intelligence. She’s particularly interested in getting involved with UC Law SF’s Startup Legal Garage, in which students provide free legal services to early-stage tech and biotech companies. She’s also keen on participating in the Corporate Counsel Externship Program, in which students train in the corporate counsel offices of for-profit and non-profit companies.

“I want to help startups get off the ground, go public, and merge with other companies,” she said. “But my ultimate goal is to maximize both degrees by starting my own business, whether it be a law firm, tech company or new product.”