A trio of University of the Ozarks alumni from the Class of 2021 are thriving at some of the top law schools in the country and they credit their undergraduate education at Ozarks for helping them succeed.
(Pictured, from left) Haley Grace Clark, Braxton Leding and Riki Haase are completing their second years of law school this spring. Clark is in an accelerated two-year program at Southwestern Law School in Los Angles and will graduate next month. Leding is attending the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville and Haase is finishing up her second year at Baylor University School of Law in Waco, Texas.
Clark has shined in her two years at the West Coast law school. She served as the communications chair on the Trial Advocacy Honors Program Board of Governors and has also been a peer mentor and a member of Consumer Law Society, Entertainment Law Society, OUTLaw, and Intellectual Property Law Society. She has also been a teaching assistant.
Clark said she’s proud to be on track to earn her juris doctorate by age 23 and she plans to pursue a career in civil litigation, particularly plaintiff personal injury. She has already received numerous post-bar job offers from firms in the Los Angeles area, where she plans to practice.
“Law school can give many students imposter syndrome, where a student will think they aren’t good enough, smart enough, or that they don’t know enough starting out compared to all the other students around them,” said Clark. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I was well-prepared when I started law school. Looking back at my undergraduate and legal schooling as I am about to graduate, I am so thankful for my education at Ozarks.”
A theatre and communications major at Ozarks, Clark said her unique academic path to law school worked to her advantage.
“I came to law school in Los Angeles thinking I wanted to do entertainment law, but I could not escape my desire to perform,” she said. “My theatre classes, taught by Bruce Brown and then subsequently Rebecca Bailey, gave me incredible public speaking skills. When I tried out for the Trial Advocacy Honors Program, in a competition between over 30 students, I placed second, right behind a student who was also a performer — an actress on Broadway in the musical ‘Chicago.’ My performance skills learned from U of O served me well in my ambitions of becoming a litigator and advocating for clients in the courtroom setting. I also gained valuable skills in teamwork and team building while in the media production track of my communications major while learning under professors Susan Edens and Dr. Rhonda Shook. That concentration teaches you about leadership strategies and efficient ways to use a large group of individuals to complete a task. I only recently noticed that working at a law firm requires teamwork and task delegation on virtually every case. I feel confident working in group settings and offering suggestions and ideas, even when I am the only intern in a meeting full of lawyers.”
Clark said she was also fortunate to be mentored by the late Dr. Stewart Dippel.
“I had the privilege of being in his pre-law classes, including classes in criminal and constitutional law,” she said. “We learned about many of the same cases that were taught in my graduate-level law classes on the same subjects. It was so rewarding to have a strong bedrock of legal analysis and familiarity that most other students in my law school didn’t have.”
Leding, who plans to return to the River Valley and practice family law following graduation, said his professors at Ozarks helped him decide a career path that eventually led to law.
“Coming to Ozarks, I had no plans on attending law school,” Leding said. “I initially thought about going the route of pre-med and attending medical school, but plans changed pretty drastically. I had some thinking to do in that case, and because of the professors at Ozarks, I was able to talk to a few of them, weigh my options, and see what career path would fit me best. After deep thought and consideration, I chose law school and a career in law as my path. My classes throughout my time at Ozarks let me see a lot of different areas of thought, and the professors were great in structuring to be the best undergraduate student I could be. That structure they helped me build has carried along with me into law school.”
He also credits Dr. Dippel as well as the English faculty for preapring him for the rigors of law school.
“First and foremost, Dr. Dippel was key in helping me decide that law school was a good fit for me,” he said, “We spent countless hours talking about my future, and all of his classes were so important to me. I was able to not only learn about political science from him, but I was able to learn about life from him as well. Also, the entire English faculty at Ozarks made a huge impact on me as well. As primarily an English major, I spent a lot of time with each English professor, and their classes brought me into a new way of thinking about specific works. This realm of critical thinking is important in law school because there is always a need to think critically about problems that face the real world daily. Dr. Brian Hardman was a key figure for me in the English faculty. He walked alongside me as I wrote my senior thesis. He helped me in my law school application process. And, like Dr. Dippel, he taught me a lot about life. His classes were an ever-evolving discussion in the problem-solving process, and I really did enjoy his take on the different periods of American literature.”
“At Ozarks, I learned lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and for that I will forever be grateful.”
Haase recently received Baylor’s Outstanding Student Achievement in Family and Juvenile Law and Outstanding Student Organization President for her efforts with Women’s Legal Society. She is also serving as a law clerk for Ryan Law firm in Waco, where she plans to practice following graduation from law school.
A softball standout at Ozarks, Haase said her experience at Ozarks helped lead her to where she is today.
“University of the Ozarks helped in a variety of ways,” she said. “I spoke with a number of professors and President Dunsworth concerning my law school applications. All of these people provided immense guidance and encouragement as I traversed an unknown path. U of O provides a diverse group of students with diverse cultures and mindsets. In philosophy classes, I didn’t even realize I was learning the art of advocating, a vital part of the legal field. Also, the U of O softball team allowed me to play a sport I loved and provided a team that I miss every day. My time as an Eagle made me appreciate the importance of teamwork and diversity.”
She found that one class at Ozarks was especially helpful when she took the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
“One class that greatly helped me get into law school was Logic taught by Dr. Bill Eakin,” Haase said. “The LSAT and law school are based on deductive reasoning. This class provided a leg up in my LSAT prep and law school classes. Another, and the most vital aspect of my experience at U of O, was the late, Professor Dippel. He not only pointed my eyes toward the legal field, but he also inspired me as a human. He challenged the status quo, pushed the limits, and welcomed a healthy debate. He helped me see the world, in the classroom and abroad, he pushed me academically and professionally. Professor Dippel was one of the biggest impacts on my life. Also, he required case briefs which are an important part of studying in law school.”
Haase has advice for students considering law school.
“Law school is hard; it will push you mentally, emotionally, and as a result, physically,” she said. “Law school is completely different than the environment at Ozarks. U of O is a community full of people supporting one another. Law school is individualistic. The first three weeks will push you to a breaking point, but you have to keep going. Find a ‘why.’ Why do you want to go into the legal field? Once you have your ‘why,’ hold onto it, post it on your wall, and remind yourself of it. The legal field is full of potential and joy if you look for it. Also, as one of my professors said, get a hobby and get a dog.”
Topics: About, Academics, English, Political Science, Theatre