Coffee Chat with Alderman Samantha Nugent

We had the honor of having Alderwoman Samantha Nugent from the 39th Ward in Chicago, IL join us for WLC’s 2020 Symposium Week. This intimate Q&A provided us with a unique opportunity to hear from a recently elected female representative in local government.

The coffee chat touched on a range of topics, including strategies for engaging in local government and using a law degree to succeed in your career. We also heard more about the Alderwoman’s day to day responsibilities, which include meeting with city agencies to address community concerns, reviewing legislation and funding, and meeting with individuals to address quality of life issues.

Here are some highlights from the conversation:

Developing connections within a community. Running for an election requires lots of door-knocking and interactions with the community. Yet many students, especially those who are not from Chicago or from the U.S., find it difficult to put down roots in a new city. We discussed how voting in local elections, volunteering with organizations, and attending networking events across the city can help to build connections outside of law school. Samantha also provided a welcome reminder that building connections within a community starts with building connections in your own office. Creating a supportive environment helps to keep great employees feeling affirmed and energized. “When you have good people, keep them around you.”

Building a career in local government. Samantha highlighted the value that a little strategy can bring to your career. In her own career, she was strategic with the positions that she took on, making sure that each new job provided her with a new challenge and was slightly different from the previous one. However, she also reminded students to remain open to opportunities that might arise unexpectedly. In local government, you never know who is going to win an election down the line or “make it big” – so maintaining connections will go a long way in finding new jobs or developing unpredicted partnerships.

Using your law degree. Samantha’s career has taken her from the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, to the British Consulate, to working for the former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. With experience in both the public and private sector, she emphasized that her law degree has been useful in every job she has had (even in surprising ways at times). In particular, her law degree allowed her to see the relationship between legislation and the law, develop her writing and critical thinking skills, and develop lifelong connections and friendships in the field.

Thank you to you and your team for taking the time to meet with us, Alderwoman Nugent!

Post written by Anouk Versavel, 1L Representative for Professional Development