Consistently ranked as our country’s top journalism or J school, Mizzou, as the University of Missouri is widely known, adheres to the philosophy that the best way to learn about journalism and advertising is to practice them. So as an undergraduate at Mizzou, I worked at the local paper and experienced a brief glimpse into the “real world” that strikes fear into every college student.  

This classroom training and work experience gave me a leg up in law school for sure. While others balked at writing lengthy papers, I knew exactly how much time it would take me to write out sections of 1,200 words because I had done it under a real-world deadline and excelled. Effective communication (written and verbal) skills are critical to my job now – just as they are to journalists. My experience at Mizzou also taught me valuable interviewing skills that come in handy when dealing with both my clients and the opposing side.

Did you know that attorneys volunteer their time to help move cases through the court system for pro se cases? Pro se cases are simply those where either party for numerous reasons doesn’t have legal representation. Basically, the other volunteers and I spent our morning writing orders–all in an effort to move cases forward that otherwise might linger. Some cases also require me to mediate between the two sides and reach some sort of agreement.

About Us: We’re a married couple living in Schaumburg. Nick runs his own law office, www.nickrichardsonlaw.com, and I work in communications promoting eggs. Want email us? Send us your thoughts and comments to:
Therichardsonstake—at—gmail.com.