A Life of Service, Reimagined Through Law

Service has been a defining pillar of Terrence Knock’s life — first through family, then through the military, and now through law.

A Legacy of Service

Knock ’27 grew up in a household that emphasized responsibility and perseverance. His father, a Navy officer, modeled duty and public service. His mother, who returned to school after raising Knock and his siblings to become a middle school counselor, showed him the value of lifelong learning.

“Service and education were constant themes in my life,” Knock said. Together, their example instilled a mindset that would guide him for years to come: Once he made a commitment, he followed through.

Quitting was never an option. 

That outlook led Knock to the U.S. Air Force, where he served for more than eight years as a logistics readiness officer and instructor, following in his father’s footsteps and extending a multigenerational legacy of service in his family. From 2011 to 2019, he supervised military and civilian personnel and supported operations across multiple bases, helping ensure that thousands of service members had the resources they needed to carry out their work. 

Knock reflects on this chapter of his professional journey as one that rooted him in purpose, accountability, and responsibility to others. During that time, a fellow Airman first encouraged Knock to consider law as a second career. 

The idea stayed with him. After leaving active duty, he continued serving others through roles in higher education, healthcare compliance, and university legal administration.

But eventually, law returned to the forefront as a way to build on his experience and open new doors for service and growth.

Finding Purpose at Loyola

Choosing law school was not a decision Knock made alone. 

He weighed the choice carefully with his wife, a nurse who had spent nearly a decade working at a hospital in San Diego, as they considered what would support a sustainable future for their growing family while allowing him to pursue work with purpose.

LMU Loyola Law School quickly stood out. 

From his earliest interactions at Loyola, Knock found the culture both rigorous and personal. Faculty and staff were responsive, professors knew their students, and the downtown law campus offered the focused environment he was seeking as someone bringing years of professional experience to his legal education.

Now a rising third-year student, Knock has embraced Loyola’s collaborative community while allowing his sense of purpose to take shape through a range of legal interests and opportunities rather than a fixed plan.

As a Loyola student ambassador, he draws on that journey to guide prospective students, particularly those considering law as a second career and a new pathway to purpose.

Putting Law Into Practice

Knock’s professional interests have taken shape through a wide range of experiences.

As a research assistant to Professor David Glazier, he examined questions involving the law of war, military justice, and due process. He has also worked with the Los Angeles Rams and serves as a staff editor on the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review.

Recently, Knock completed a judicial externship in the chambers of the Honorable André Birotte Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, which gave him a closer view of public service through the judiciary. This summer, Knock is continuing his legal development as a summer associate with Allen Matkins, gaining exposure to real estate law and litigation.

Together, these experiences have shown him the breadth of what a legal education can make possible. Knock credits that growth primarily to consistency: Showing up, seeking feedback, and being intentional about where he invests his time and energy.

Through each experience, Knock returns to the same purpose that first brought him to law school. For him, law is not about prestige or certainty. It is about usefulness — a tool for serving others, supporting his family, and strengthening communities.

“That’s why I came to law school,” he reflected simply. “To help people.”

The setting has changed since his years on active duty, but the purpose has not. At Loyola, Knock is carrying a lifelong commitment to service into its next chapter — reimagined through law.

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