Amanda Schneider, JD'06
As an Indiana Law student, Schneider was a diligent member of the Public Interest Law Foundation, was president of the Tenants Assistance Project, and served as Committee Chair for the Loan Repayment Assistance Program. "Instead of pursuing Moot Court or law journal, I pursued clinics and volunteer opportunities outside of the classroom," she says.
Schneider speaks of LSEM and her work with passion and gratitude. Her dedication to poverty and disability law is deeply connected to personal experience. Her nephew, Nicholas, was born three months premature with cerebral palsy, and Schneider's firsthand view of her sister's financial and emotional struggle added perspective to her career goals.
"Many law students grow up with a middle class mentality of stability," she says. "Suddenly, I realized that falling into an at-risk or poverty situation is closer for most of us than we really know. When you're confronted with that, it really shapes you."
The American Bar Association reports that high student debt bars many law graduates from pursuing public service careers, and public service employers experience serious difficulty recruiting and retaining lawyers. This severely compromises low-income and indigent citizens' access to legal services.
"I have often been told by colleagues that they 'cannot afford to do this kind of work.' I am probably in that precarious position myself," Schneider says.
The first generation college graduate experienced the relief that LRAP assistance can provide as she transitioned from school to full-time work and awaited her bar exam results. Because her employer was not able to provide funds for relocation, BarBri fees, or other living expenses, money was tight until the first paycheck.
"I am very grateful to LRAP to assist with living expenses this year, as my salary is probably the lowest in my graduating class," she says, noting that with or without the assistance she would still be committed to the job. "The most important thing in life for me is to do this work."
Photo courtesy of the St. Louis Business Journal