铺路

金 (Rodgers) Smith ’00 came to Mount Mercy大学 with a goal of becoming a lawyer. She made her dream come true and was even appointed as a District Associate Judge. 

After many trips to court at a young age with her court attendant great-grandmother, 金 declared that she wanted to be a lawyer. In reply, her great-grandmother told her, “No boy will ever want to marry you if you become a lawyer.”

Despite this warning, 金 was determined to become lawyer. She started working at law firms in high school.

“我一直很喜欢他们的工作,” 金 said about lawyers. “I like that they can help people, they seem intelligent and well spoken, 他们可以很好地沟通. 他们只是我钦佩的人.”

When it came time for college, 金 felt comfortable at Mount Mercy大学. She was very familiar with the Sisters of Mercy growing up in an Irish Catholic family. She admired the work of the Sisters and their mission, which made Mount Mercy a great fit.

金 originally majored in 英语. Her Introduction to 刑事司法 class intrigued her to dive deeper into the subject.

“It incorporated all the social justice issues I was interested in, and I knew I wanted to go to law school, 所以我换了专业,金说。.

金 felt that her criminal justice courses were preparing her for her future education and career.

“A lot of what we talked about was stuff I knew I would use when I went to law school,金说。.

When 金 wasn’t in class or studying, she kept busy. 她在唱诗班, RA, MA2P董事会成员, 在戏剧社, started a Mount Mercy Mock Trial Program, participated in every intermural sport, 为发展署工作 & 校友办公室工作四年.

“If it was at Mount Mercy, I did it,” shared 金. “Being involved helped me invest in campus and make lifelong friends,” shared 金.

“If it was at Mount Mercy, I did it. Being involved helped me invest in campus and make lifelong friends.”
——亲爱的. 金·史密斯00, District Associate Judge | State of Iowa Judicial Branch

After graduating, 金 continued to be dedicated to her Mustang 社区. Her work in the alumni office showed her the importance of staying connected to your alma matter. This inspired her to join the Mount Mercy 校友 Board. Her time on the board has kept her close to campus and her friend Catherine (Metz) O’Connell ’00 who also serves on the board.

“It’s nice to come back and see how much investment has been made on campus,金说。.

金 has always felt supported by her community on the Hill. 她的教授, Dr. 玛丽银朱 and Deb Brydon, made a particular impact on 金’s life both at Mount Mercy and beyond.

“All those people showing confidence in me and talking to me about my career goals gave me the confidence I needed to apply to law school,金说。.

While law school was extremely challenging, 金 felt that the reading and interpretation skills she built at Mount Mercy helped her succeed.

“I was as prepared as one can be the first year of law school,” shared 金. “The transition was somewhat flawless.” 

金 graduated from Drake University Law School in 2003. Then she fulfilled the dream she had shared with her great-grandmother when she was young—she began her career as a lawyer.

One of the reasons 金 was drawn to law from a young age is the opportunity it presents to help people. This is what made her interested in working in public law.

“Law is a helping profession,金说。. “There are people that need the help more, and that’s people who don’t have a lot of money or power in society.”

金 served as an Assistant Public Defender for 13 years. She practiced criminal defense and became an experienced trial lawyer.

In 2020, 金 was appointed to the district associate bench as a criminal judge. Her appointment was a life-changing moment.

“I worked really hard for a long time to get it,” shared 金. “这感觉难以置信, it’s so rare in adulthood that you get other people to acknowledge what you’re good at.”

At her investiture, 金 reflected on the work of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy. While the Sisters are mainly known for their work in nursing and education, 金 emulates their mission in her own career.

“The Sisters of Mercy are a great example of people that serve the poor, 这就是我所做的,金说。.

金 ended her investiture speech with a quote from Catherine McAuley, “Resolve to do good today and better tomorrow.”