It has been seven years since I graduated from Missouri State University. When I look back on my four years spent at MSU, I have nothing but fond memories of friends, campus events, and living life as a Springfieldian. When I originally enrolled at MSU, my major was in Human Resource Management. I knew from the very beginning that addressing employee interactions on a day-to-day basis was my passion. However, my academics took an interesting turn after I took the American Democracy and Citizenship course (or PLS 101 as it was called then) during freshman year.
While in PLS 101, I realized that a major in Political Science would essentially expose me to the way humans interact on national and global levels—an extension of my interest in employee management. I quickly changed my major to Political Science with a minor in Public Administration and enrolled in as many political science classes as possible. Learning about how countries manage their populations was truly laying the groundwork for my future career as a lawyer.
In 2011 I matriculated to Saint Louis University School of Law. I had always known that I wanted to move back to my home city and knew that SLU would be a good fit for me. I found myself in a strong position to perform well on law school exams, as my MSU education prepared me for long-form written exams. My classmates who had majored in business were awe-struck by the length of the exams and struggled with the loss of their beloved multiple choice exams. Had I not changed my major to Political Science freshman year, I do not think that I would have the success that I had on law school exams.
Knowing that I wanted to steer my career toward the human interaction passion that I had going into undergraduate studies, I enrolled in as many employee/employer relations classes as possible. After graduating cum laude from SLU, I secured an associate position with a St. Louis labor and employment defense firm and stayed there for three years. Last summer, I joined Littler Mendelson, the world’s largest labor and employment law firm and I am incredibly proud of the work that I do each day.
Employment law is very methodical, as there is statutory authority that defines the process plaintiffs must go through in order to file a lawsuit; however, because every single person on this planet is so different, the work in each case is always new and fresh.
Before an employee may file a lawsuit, they must file what is called a Charge of Discrimination with a state (the Missouri Commission on Human Rights) or federal agency (the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). After a Charge is filed, the company gets a chance to respond in a Position Statement. This is where my work begins. I routinely draft Position Statements on behalf of companies providing facts and evidence to show that the employee’s claims are meritless. After the employee has gone through the Charge process, they will likely be issued a “Right to Sue” letter and file their claim in court.
Once the matter is in court, there is much to do on the file. From responding to the Petition, to drafting discovery, taking depositions, filing motions, and arguing in court, each day can be completely different.
I truly love what I do, and working for a great law firm makes my job much more fulfilling. I am surrounded each day by extremely intelligent colleagues who challenge me to be a better lawyer. The practice of law takes a very long time to perfect, which is why it is called “practice”! However, I would not be the lawyer I am today without the foundational education I received at Missouri State University. If it was not for the Political Science Department pushing me to be a better student and challenging the way that I think, I would not be where I am today.
When people ask where I went for undergrad, I proudly and affirmatively state that I am a graduate of Missouri State University and that it was truly the best four years of my life.