Stoeffler inspires with law degree, bright future
By Rachel Mergen
Intense, driven and introverted are three powerful words that can easily describe Anna Stoeffler, Prairie du Chien graduate and soon-to-be judicial clerk for Honorable Bruce B. Zager, member of the Iowa Supreme Court.
Anna, daughter of Ken and Mary Stoeffler, is the oldest of four children and a native of Prairie du Chien and McGregor. She attended Prairie Catholic and graduated from Prairie du Chien High School.
With interests in politics, current events and Wisconsin sports, along with having been involved in a variety of activities, she was on the path to great achievements from the start.
“Throughout middle and high school, I was very involved in a variety of experiences in my community and school—ranging from participating in forensics, National Honor Society and sports to working as a hostess at Fort Mulligan’s and volunteering at church events. All of these experiences helped me understand the value of civics and community involvement, balancing time and work ethic. They also helped grow my interpersonal and critical thinking skills that are essential to the legal field,” Anna stated about her time growing up in Prairie du Chien.
When she was younger, she didn’t know many people interested in law. She recited the story of what sparked her own interest, “When I was in seventh grade at Prairie Catholic, my civics class took a field trip to see President George W. Bush speak. Hearing the President speak about the interaction between government and the law in the post-9/11 world first piqued my interest in the role law plays in the world, and I had fantastic history and government teachers like Bill Huser and Ron Sedgwick who subsequently grew my interest in the law.”
According to Anna, she decided she wanted to be a lawyer by the time she was a junior in high school. Her love for history, civics and political science classes, along with encouragement from her teachers, helped inspire her.
“I realized that becoming a lawyer would allow me to pursue my interests and use my skills to help people and better the community by advocating on behalf of others,” she said.
After graduating from high school, she continued her education at the University of Dubuque, studying in criminal justice and sociology. When she received her B.A., she entered the University of Iowa College of Law.
Throughout her years in higher education, she had a multitude of experiences that expanded her views and knowledge.
She stated, “Throughout college, I worked at Wyalusing Academy, where I had the opportunity to see and understand the players involved in the juvenile justice system from a different perspective than I would have had by simply going into law after law school.
“Additionally, I served as assistant chief page of the 2012 Republican National Convention, where I had the incredible opportunity to see up-close the inner-workings of how a major political party crafts and edits its party platform and to interact with delegates and politicians alike, witnessing firsthand important negotiation and persuasive communication skills.
“I spent my last year of law school interning with the Department of Justice in the Cedar Rapids’ United States Attorney’s Office, where I was able to work with supervising attorneys to research and draft legal documents in federal civil and criminal cases on behalf of the government and assist with trial preparation.”
One of her stand-out memories took place in September 2016. She was one of four law students chosen from 110 candidates to argue in front of the Iowa Supreme Court, as part of the school’s annual Supreme Court Day celebration.
When speaking of the event, she noted, “It helped me realize that I want to spend my legal career working in the appellate field on behalf of the government where I can best use my writing, research and oral advocacy skills to defend policies that protect and better the community.”
Today, her mentors include her college pre-law adviser and her law school moot court coach, who was formerly an Iowa Supreme Court justice.
In the next few months, she will be hard at work studying for the Iowa Bar Exam, which she will take at the end of July.
Then, she will begin her judicial clerkship. In this position, she will have the opportunity to see how legal issues are worked through and decided in Iowa’s highest court.
Anna has a bright future in mind. In 10 years, she hopes to be an attorney at the Department of Justice or at the Iowa Attorney General’s office.
For those looking to make a change in the world and travel away from small communities like Prairie du Chien, she advised, “Get involved in your school and community and figure out what you’re passionate about. Once you know [your passions], it becomes easier to stay dedicated to achieving that goal and pursuing that passion wherever it leads.
“The opportunities to grow, succeed, and obtain the career you want are out there, but it requires self-determination and ambition beyond simply showing up.”
Being driven, intense and introverted created a life for Anna Stoeffler that many only dream of. With large goals in mind and the power of law in her hands, she hopes to help many people in the future.
