Graduate Profile: Blake Saffels, L’21

Blake Saffels in graduation regalia with his family
Blake Saffels, left, with his wife, Hillary, and their children.

Following his first year of law school, Blake Saffels took a field placement with the Missouri State Public Defender’s office in Kansas City, Missouri. The experience put him on a path that will continue after his graduation from the University of Kansas School of Law.

“It provided great practical experience from working with some excellent attorneys and from getting hands-on experience interacting with clients. That experience also reaffirmed my desire to go into criminal defense,” Saffels said.

In addition to the Field Placement Program, Saffels prepared for a career in criminal law by participating in the Judicial Field Placement Program, Expert Witness Skills Workshop and Deposition Skills Workshop.

Saffels will start his legal career as an associate attorney focusing on criminal defense at Berkowitz Oliver in Kansas City, Missouri.

“At some point in my career, I will hopefully get to witness the end of the death penalty, mass incarceration, and many of the other problems in our country’s criminal system,” Saffels said.

Professor Emeritus Ellen Sward was one of Saffels’ favorite instructors at KU Law. Sward “kept things fun with her unique sense of humor” and was committed to her students’ success, Saffels said.

“I would not necessarily say that her infamous 9-hour Civil Procedure final was my favorite experience ever. But both classes I took from Professor Sward were challenging without being overwhelming, and she made complex material easy to understand,” he said.

Saffels earned a nickname – “Justice Saffels” – during his first year of law school. Friends had joked that his objective and thoughtful speaking would make him a great judge. When a professor asked during class if he was related to Judge Saffels – Blake’s grandfather was a judge – the name stuck.

“I could not tell you why because I do not plan on trying to become a judge, but some friends decided to call me Justice Saffels almost exclusively for the next two and a half years,” Saffels said.

Originally from Overland Park, Saffels earned his undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from KU in 2013. He and his wife, Hillary, had their son, Emerson, one month into Saffels’ first semester of law school. Their daughter, Lillian, was born last summer.

During his time at KU Law, Saffels helped mentor first-year students as a member of the Dean’s Fellows, served as business manager for the Kansas Law Review and participated in moot court.  

— By Margaret Hair

This post is the eighth in a series highlighting a few of the exceptional members of KU Law’s Class of 2021. Check out previous stories about Aidan Graybill, Howard Mahan, Zachary Kelsay, Marisol Garcia, Leah Lewsader, Samantha Natera and Delaney Hiegert.

Recent graduate wins business law essay contest

Tara Mollhagen Shepherd
Tara Mollhagen Shepherd

A 2020 KU Law graduate’s article was recently featured in the spring 2021 edition of The Business Lawyer, the flagship journal of the ABA Business Law Section. Tara Mollhagen Shepherd’s piece won her first place in the 2020 Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest.

A highly regarded legal writing competition sponsored by the ABA Business Law Section, the Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest encourages and rewards students for outstanding writing on business law topics.

Mollhagen Shepherd’s article, “Lien This Way or That: The Trouble with Categorizing a Lien as Judicial or Statutory,” was published in the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy in 2019.

Winning the contest was “a wonderful surprise,” Mollhagen Shepherd said.

“Of course, with something as prestigious as The Business Lawyer, I was thrilled. The reward for the amount of work that went into my article was so fulfilling,” she said.

Mollhagen Shepherd selected her article topic while she was serving as an extern for Hon. Robert D. Berger, of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas, through KU Law’s Judicial Field Placement Program.

“I’m so thankful to Jessica Rebel and Judge Berger over at the United States Bankruptcy Court: District of Kansas and the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy for answering writing and research questions and helping me along the way,” Mollhagen Shepherd said.

Professor Virginia Harper Ho, who serves as director of the Polsinelli Transactional Law Center at KU, said Mollhagen Shepherd is the first KU Law student to win the national writing contest.

“For Tara’s article to be selected as the winner this year is a big honor, and one that Tara very much deserves,” Harper Ho said.

Working as an associate attorney at Bever Dye, LC in Wichita, Mollhagen Shepherd practices in areas including estate planning, taxation, trusts and estates, and business law.

During law school, she served as president of the Business and Tax Law Society; volunteer and co-coordinator of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Clinic (VITA); and staff editor and business manager of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy. She also competed in national transactional law competitions, placing as a runner-up in the elite invitation-only “The Closer” National Transactional Law Competition at Baylor Law School in 2020.

Mollhagen Shepherd received the 2020 Robert E. Edmonds Prize in Corporation & Securities Law from KU Law.

— By Margaret Hair

Alumni gift boosts Student Emergency Fund

Giving Story: KU Law Student Emergency Fund

Jeff Stowell, L’01, and Carol Stowell have seen first-hand the strain some students have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Carol Stowell finished her nursing degree in December, she saw her younger student peers struggle to stay in school as they faced job loss, a sudden increased need for childcare, and other challenges.

“We were really motivated to try to increase the size and reach of the KU Law Student Emergency Fund by our observations of the sometimes quiet effects the pandemic was having on young people,” Jeff Stowell said.

The Stowell family contributed a $25,000 matching gift to the Student Emergency Fund during this year’s university-wide giving day, ONE DAY. ONE KU. In response to the Stowells’ matching gift, 92 donors contributed $24,200 to the emergency fund in a 24-hour period.

The Stowell family poses in KU gear
The Stowell family. Photo courtesy of Jeff Stowell.

The fund provides one-time grants to law students in need of emergency financial assistance, including covering costs such as counseling and mental health services. The grants do not need to be repaid. The Student Emergency Fund was made possible by support from the Janean Meigs Memorial Award in Law fund and its stewards.

Leah Terranova, assistant dean for academic and student affairs, said the fund provides a safety net for students who encounter a situation that could affect their ability to continue law school.

Since the fund was established in fall 2019, more than 30 emergency fund requests have been filled, providing more than $30,000 in financial support to students with emergency needs. Students have received grants to cover such unexpected expenses as car repairs, medical and dental bills, loss of income or family support related to COVID-19 or deaths in the family.

“We also use these funds to pay for counseling fees for students who may not otherwise be able to afford therapy. Ideally, we remove any financial barriers to students seeking mental health supports,” Terranova said.

In addition to the Student Emergency Fund, KU Law has provided grocery store gift cards to students to help with food insecurity during the past year.

To Jeff Stowell, there’s no question the COVID-19 pandemic made his family’s decision to support the Student Emergency Fund timelier.

“But it probably shouldn’t be that way,” Stowell said. “It’s becoming increasingly challenging for most students to be able to afford a quality education.”

“A rapidly growing number of our students sit in pretty precarious financial positions where a simple wrong turn of a screw can force them to drop out. We should continue to pay attention to that,” he said.

Make a gift

— By Margaret Hair

Graduate Profile: Delaney Hiegert, L’21

Delaney Hiegert
Third-year law student Delaney Hiegert

‘Looking forward to seeing what type of good I can get up to with a J.D.’

For Delaney Hiegert, L’21, the most impactful experience during their three years at KU Law was all about helping others.

In fall 2019, Hiegert – along with classmate Ellen Bertels – gathered support from the Douglas County Legal Aid Society and LGTBQ+ activists across Kansas to launch the Gender Marker and Name Change Project. The GMNC Project, operating within the KU Legal Aid Clinic at Green Hall, provides pro bono legal representation for transgender and nonbinary individuals as they seek affirming gender marker and name changes in Kansas.

“Ellen and I had a pipe dream of helping transgender Kansans by providing pro bono representation and free resources for them as they sought gender-affirming legal identity document changes on their journey of living authentically,” Hiegert said.

In addition to providing representation and resources, Hiegert and Bertels made connections with attorneys across the state and began offering CLE trainings related to advocating for transgender clients.

The experiences they had co-founding and working with the Gender Marker and Name Change Project “will stick with me throughout my legal career,” Hiegert said.

“It was an amazing experience to be able to serve our trans community and help to ensure the legal profession is capable of equitably advocating for transgender and gender diverse people in Kansas,” they said.

Hiegert and Bertels recently received the national PSJD Pro Bono Publico Award, honoring their work launching the Gender Marker and Name Change Project. Presented by the National Association for Law Placement, the award recognizes law students whose commitment to law-related public service work contributes to a culture of pro bono service within their law school. Hiegert and Bertels recruited and trained classmates to volunteer with the project.

At KU’s Lavender Graduation & Pride Awards in April, Hiegert received the Be You at KU Student of the Year Award, and the GMNC Project earned the Best Program or Initiative Pride Award.

KU Law awarded Hiegert the Samuel Mellinger Scholarship, Leadership, and Service Award at graduation. The award is given to the student who has most distinguished themselves in the combined areas of scholarship, leadership and service.

During law school, Hiegert was on the leadership team of OUTLaws & Allies, and participated in the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council, the American Constitution Society and the undergraduate ACLU of KU student organization. They were also on the board of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy.

Favorite courses included Professor Kyle Velte’s course on Sexual Orientation and the Law.

“It was a great opportunity for me to engage with LGBTQ+ advocacy issues in the specific context of the law,” Hiegert said. “Plus, our final projects were podcasts related to an LGBTQ+ legal issue we were interested in, so I actually had a lot of fun creating it!”

This spring, Hiegert worked as a legal intern for the National Health Law Program through KU Law’s 6th Semester in D.C. program, which allows students to spend their last semester of law school taking classes and working in Washington, D.C.

“I was grateful to have the opportunity to learn about life as a full-time attorney prior to the start of my first post-graduation job,” Hiegert said.

Born and raised in Topeka, Hiegert earned their B.A. in communications studies – with minors in journalism and criminal justice – from Newman University in Wichita.

“I’m a Kansas kid at heart, so I was happy to have the opportunity to stay in my home state for law school,” they said.

Looking back on their time at KU Law, Hiegert said their favorite memories “are just all the little moments I had with my friends in Green Hall that got me through each semester.”

“Heely-ing in the basement through the tile hallway before each final; our first (and only) law prom; late-night study session snack runs; drag shows at the Jazzhaus; the Bluebook relays. There’s too many to choose one!” they said.

After graduation, Hiegert plans to sit for the July bar exam before starting a clerkship with Judge Jacy Hurst, L’07, of the Kansas Court of Appeals. Following their clerkship, Hiegert plans to pursue public interest fellowships or attorney positions focusing on LGBTQ+ justice issues and social justice issues.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what type of good I can get up to with a J.D.,” Hiegert said.

“I think that the skills I learned while at KU Law have prepared me to be a truly effective advocate for the causes that I am passionate about, and I am eager to put them to use!”

— By Margaret Hair

This post is the seventh in a series highlighting a few of the exceptional members of KU Law’s Class of 2021. Check out previous stories about Aidan Graybill, Howard Mahan, Zachary Kelsay, Marisol Garcia, Leah Lewsader and Samantha Natera. Stay tuned for more profiles as we celebrate this year’s graduating class.

Graduate Profile: Samantha Natera, L’21

Samantha Natera in law graduate regalia next to a Kansas Jayhawk statue
Third-year law student Samantha Natera. Photo courtesy of Samantha Natera.

Student dedicated to immigration, employment cases

Third-year law student Samantha Natera dedicated her summers during law school to working on immigration and employment cases.

Following her 1L year, Natera completed two internships focused on immigration law. She spent the first part of the summer interning at Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, Inc., in her hometown of El Paso, Texas.

“We had the opportunity to help many people apply for asylum who were in detention centers,” Natera said. She came back to Lawrence later that summer to intern with Treviño Law Office, working on immigration cases.

In summer 2020, she worked remotely for Farmworker Legal Services, a Michigan-based organization that helps migrant and seasonal farmworkers to fight against employer injustice. Natera continues to work with the organization.

During her 2L year, Natera volunteered for a workshop, hosted by Legal Aid of Western Missouri, on nonimmigrant visas for victims of violent crimes. Student volunteers had the opportunity to assist with some cases and understand the basic concepts of helping clients with U and T visas.

“It was a good practical experience that helped me understand how being a lawyer can impact so many lives and see that there are many attorneys out there who care about the community,” Natera said.

Natera plans to take the Texas Bar Exam this summer. After that, she is open to opportunities, including returning to Kansas. Natera said she is excited to start her legal career and help people.

“I have enjoyed working with immigration and employment-related cases,” Natera said. “I am excited that I will be able to work on more cases like these and learn more every day about how I can make a positive impact in someone’s life.”

Natera grew up on the border of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. She earned her undergraduate degree in finance and international business from the University of Texas at El Paso.

When she was choosing a law school, Natera had narrowed her choices to two. She stopped by KU Law with her family for a visit but found the school was closed when they arrived. Professor Lou Mulligan answered the door and offered to show them the building.

“He gave me and my family a tour, and then I just knew that KU felt like a right choice for me,” Natera said.

At KU Law, Natera was president of the International Law Society and vice president of the Hispanic American Law Students Association. She worked as a student assistant in the Career Services Office and translated international recruiting materials for outreach to Spanish-speaking students.

Along with her J.D., Natera will earn the International Trade and Finance Certificate. Several of her favorite law school classes were part of the certificate program, including International Trade Law, International Commerce and Investment, Chinese Law, and Asylum and Refugee Law. As a student in the Mediation Clinic, Natera worked on a project to develop training materials for diplomats at the United Nations through a partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

“Through all the amazing people working at KU I have had the opportunity to participate in clinics, internships, workshops, and have met wonderful people,” Natera said. “These experiences have been so helpful and have given me confidence on what will come next.”

— By Margaret Hair

This post is the sixth in a series highlighting a few of the exceptional members of KU Law’s Class of 2021. Check out previous stories about Aidan Graybill, Howard Mahan, Zachary Kelsay, Marisol Garcia and Leah Lewsader. Stay tuned for more profiles as we celebrate this year’s graduating class.

Graduate Profile: Leah Lewsader, L’21

Leah Lewsader
Third-year law student Leah Lewsader

Former educator pursuing a career in immigration law

Leah Lewsader started her career as an educator.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Loyola University Chicago, Lewsader spent six years teaching elementary school in Santiago, Chile, before enrolling in law school at the Gonzaga University Law School in Spokane, Washington. She transferred to KU Law in her second year.

When she graduates this month, Lewsader plans to support children in a different way in her work as an attorney. She will join an immigration law firm in North Kansas City, focusing on asylum and working with unaccompanied minors who cross the U.S. border.

“As a former educator, I am most excited about working with children again,” Lewsader said.

Originally from Carbondale, Illinois, Lewsader was excited for the chance to come to KU Law as a transfer student after her wife was offered a coaching job at KU.

“Being from the Midwest, I jumped at the opportunity to move to Kansas,” Lewsader said.

Lewsader found community at KU Law with the student organization OUTLaws & Allies.

“I really enjoyed being a part of OUTLaws because as a transfer student, it was an instant sense of community,” she said.

Leah Lewsader, right, with her wife and their two dogs. Photo courtesy of Leah Lewsader

Outside of Green Hall, she was involved in the legal community through the LGBT Bar and the Kansas Women Attorneys Association. The Kansas Bar Association recently awarded Lewsader its Capitol Federal Foundation Diversity Scholarship.

During law school, Lewsader interned with the KU Law Medical-Legal Partnership, served as a pro bono fellow with the Migrant Farmworkers Project for Legal Aid of Western Missouri, and was a policy fellow for a Missouri state senator. She will earn Pro Bono Distinction at graduation for completing more than 50 hours of unpaid legal service during her KU Law career.

Legal Aid Clinic was one of Lewsader’s favorite classes at KU Law, along with Social Justice Lawyering, taught by Adjunct Professor Sharon Brett.

“The Legal Aid Clinic is an incredible way to get hands-on experience and work directly with members of the Lawrence community,” Lewsader said. Clinic faculty Melanie Daily and Meredith Schnug center the client and promote social justice in every case, she said.

“Law school generally solidified the importance of kindness, compassion and relationships,” Lewsader said.

— By Margaret Hair

This post is the fifth in a series highlighting a few of the exceptional members of KU Law’s Class of 2021. Check out previous stories about Aidan Graybill, Howard Mahan, Zachary Kelsay and Marisol Garcia. Stay tuned for more profiles as we celebrate this year’s graduating class.