From Engineer to Esquire: Graduating UM Law Student Enjoys New Career Path
By Lily Soper, UM News Service
MISSOULA – While water systems and legal systems might not appear to have many similarities, 91次元 law student Jamey Stogsdill knows differently.
Before attending UM’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law, Stogsdill spent 12 years working as a civil engineer for the U.S. Forest Service, designing and constructing water systems.
“Everything from drilling the groundwater well to building storage distribution – all the way to someone turning their tap and water comes out,” said Stogsdill, who will graduate from UM’s law school on Saturday, May 17.
The engineering job took her all across the country. It was a wonderful opportunity, but a factor to consider when it came time to choose a law school.
“I’ve traveled all over the world and did my undergrad out of state, but whenever I’m away from Montana, I feel very aware that I am not home,” said Stogsdill, who grew up in central Montana.
While she had always been interested in studying law, her experience navigating contracts as an engineer solidified her decision to go to law school.
“A lot of people think writing the contracts with technical specifications of construction is the boring part, but I loved it,” she said. “It gave me confidence I’d enjoy the day-to-day work as an attorney.”
Stogsdill’s experience added context to her studies, aiding in her class performance.
“I remember taking Contracts my first year and realizing, ‘Oh hey, I know this!’”
Despite the leg up, going from full-fledged career back to student wasn’t without challenges.
“I think that’s the case for a lot of students who come back after having spent a number of years in a career where you have the authority to make lots of decisions,” Stogsdill said. “Comparatively, school can feel a little abstract.”
When it was time to put theory into practice, Stogsdill got a summer internship after her second year clerking for Judge Leslie Halligan in the Montana District Court. It was a natural fit, as UM’s law school is ranked No. 22 nationally for federal clerkship placements.
Feeling reaffirmed by putting her education to practice, Stogsdill found the variety of cases coming across her desk every week fascinating in such a low-population state. But despite the career change, her mission statement remained steadfast.
“I always found value in my work in a context of service to rural communities working for the Department of Agriculture,” she said, “putting big contracts of millions of dollars a year into really struggling rural economies. I always knew I’d figure out a way to continue something in that vein. There are so many different ways you can do it at different levels of government, but I really loved the District of Montana.”
Upon graduation, Stogsdill will return to the Montana District Court as a clerk in the fifth district. She looks forward to continuing her legal life in Montana.
“I love central Montana,” said Stogsdill, who grew up in Lewistown. “Apart from the trucks people are driving, it hasn’t changed at all since I was a kid. It’s nice to be home.”
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Contact: Lily Soper, events and marketing coordinator, Alexander Blewett III School of Law, 406-243-5730, lily.soper@mso.umt.edu.