Gaining the Tools to Lead Through Legal Studies

When Kevin Gener ’26 first joined an expert witness firm in 2017, he entered the legal world with a steep learning curve.

Working alongside attorneys and expert witnesses, he encountered unfamiliar terminology and complex litigation cases. Now the director of operations and technology at ForensisGroup and a Master of Science in Legal Studies (MLS) student at LMU Loyola Law School, Gener has seen a transformation in himself.

“They feel like two completely different people,” he said. “Kevin after Loyola Law School is definitely more confident. The program has helped me unlock more of my potential.”

Building Knowledge for a Legal Adjacent Career

ForensisGroup connects attorneys with expert witnesses across fields including medicine, construction, intellectual property and environmental matters. Their work helps bring clarity and truth to complex legal cases.

Gener oversees approximately 20 staff members across several teams while helping the growing company strengthen its systems and expand its client base. As his responsibilities grew, he recognized that understanding the law would help him lead more effectively.

“I wanted to feel empowered in my understanding of the law,” he said. “I wanted to know how our clients communicate and how to solve the problems my teams encounter.”

Gener initially considered an MBA. But because his work placed him in daily contact with attorneys and litigation professionals, Loyola’s 24-unit MLS program offered a more direct connection to his career growth. 

Since beginning the program in August, he has taken courses with immediate application to his work, including Contracts, which supports his review of nearly every client agreement, and Civil Procedure, which has given him a stronger grasp of how cases progress, the language clients use and the role expert witnesses play.

Together, those courses and the overall program have bolstered his confidence and offered insight into attorneys’ legal education, opening doorways to stronger professional relationships.

Finding the Right Balance at Loyola

Gener was drawn to Loyola because its hybrid format offered the flexibility he needed as a working professional and the in-person experience he sought as a student. Balancing full-time work with part-time study requires “a great deal of juggling” he says, but after fine tuning his course load, he found the right rhythm through careful time management.

Evening and online options allow him to remain present for work and his personal life, while coming to campus helps him engage more deeply with the material and build meaningful relationships. Learning alongside JD students has also shown him how they approach demanding courses and prepare for careers in the law.

For Gener, that balance of flexibility, rigor and connection has made the program feel both manageable and meaningful.

“It has felt like it was meant to be,” he reflected. “The experience has been amazing, and I have learned so much. My professors have been patient but challenging.”

The relationships Gener has formed at Loyola — from classmates to professors — continue a pattern of community, mentorship and support that has shaped him throughout his life.

A Life Shaped by Purpose and Community

Born in Las Piñas City in the Philippines, Gener moved to Southern California at age 10. After struggling to find his direction in community college, he returned to the Philippines as a young adult at his mother’s encouragement. There, he studied business management and began his career in project management.

“Living in the Philippines opened my mind and was an incredibly humbling experience,” Gener said. “It was honestly one of the best decisions I ever made. The experience realigned me and helped me understand who I really am.”

That chapter deepened his desire to use his skills in service of others. In 2023, Gener launched Plogging LA, a Sweden-inspired initiative combining jogging with picking up litter that was featured on CNN. He also founded the nonprofit Road Less Traveled Tours, inspired by an Irish program that trains people who have experienced homelessness to lead local street tours, creating professional opportunities while reshaping narratives about homelessness.

Gener credits much of his ambition and sense of responsibility to the people around him, particularly the women from whom he has drawn wisdom and inspiration.

“I have been fortunate to be surrounded by empowering women throughout my life: my mother, her sisters and siblings, my grandmother, my titas on my father’s side, my CEO at work, and of course, my wife,” he said.

After completing his MLS this fall, Gener plans to use his degree to help ForensisGroup grow, devote more attention to his nonprofit and possibly start a family with his wife. His experience at Loyola has even led him to consider pursuing a JD someday. 

But no matter what direction he takes, Gener knows the relationships and knowledge he gained at Loyola will remain with him. “I will walk away from Loyola with lifelong friends,” he said. “I will also leave with knowledge that no one can ever take away from me.”

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Learn more about Loyola's Master of Science in Legal Studies (MLS) Program