March 9, 2021
Rachel Thompson AJD’17 has always been passionate about fighting for what is right and defending those who don’t have a voice. She chose to pursue a law career because she wanted to empower others to understand their rights and defend those whose rights were not being respected.
For Thompson, it was an easy choice to jump into the Accelerated Juris Doctor (AJD) program, which fast-tracked her into the field in two years.
Thompson currently works as the managing attorney for her local legal aid office. Her practice covers family law (divorce, custody, TROs, guardianships and adoptions), eviction defense and housing law, consumer protection, elder law, and SSI/SSDI advocacy. Her work includes homeless outreach and assisting clients with obtaining their vital documents. Her work gives Thompson the opportunity to empower others and truly make a difference in the world.
“The AJD program allowed me to streamline my law school experience and get back out to work sooner rather than later. I also considered the cost-savings of not having to take out loans for another year of living expenses too.”
Rachel Thompson AJD’17
The AJD program allowed Thompson to hit the ground running and achieve her goals. In the short two years it took to complete the program, she was able to gain plenty of hands-on experience with clinics and externships that helped her jump into her dream career”.