Carolyn Spradley is a third year law student at Texas Tech University School of Law who became involved with the Student Public Interest Initiative (SPII) organization. As the Managing Director of SPII, Spradley helps organize fundraisers that provide grants to students doing public interest work over the summer. While Spradley considered a career in public interest law, she accepted a job offer from the law firm Thompson & Knight after enjoying her summer clerkship there. She plans to do pro bono work while pursuing a career in corporate law.

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Carolyn Spradley: Managing Director of Student Public
Interest Initiative at Texas Tech University School of Law,
Lubbock, TX
[By Kenneth Davis]
Carolyn Spradley, a third year student at Texas Tech University School of Law, decided to study law while she was employed as
a caseworker for the Child Protective Services office in her hometown of Tyler, Texas. She started working for Child Protective
Services after she graduated from Texas Tech University in 2002 with a degree in public relations. Spradley said that law school
had been in the back of her mind for awhile, but working for Child Protective Services solidified her decision to pursue a law
degree.as an attorney to help law students find jobs.
“I would go to court for some of my cases,” form of grants, to Tech law students who “It was great!” she said. “It was just so fun to
she said. “And I enjoyed that aspect of it, are doing public interest summer work,” see the professors up there.”
more so than the counseling. People who she said. “We also do educational programs
do social work might go back to school for at the law school, so students can learn Spradley said that it is SPII’s goal to expand
a Master’s in Counseling or a Master’s in more about public interest law and what job the fundraiser and encourage more local
Social Work. But I really wanted to go in opportunities there are in it.” bar involvement. She pointed out that the
another direction.” Lubbock County Young Lawyers Association
She added that every spring the organization was the main sponsor for the organization’s
Spradley started at Texas Tech University has a talent show and auction, and all the 2006 talent show/auction.
School of Law in the fall of 2004 and got money from the fundraiser goes to the
involved in Student Public Interest Initiative students who apply for summer grants. She and the other board members also go to
(SPII) during the second semester of her first local businesses for donations. For instance,
year. She said the organization needed to fill As Managing Director of SPII, some of
one year, a hotel in Amarillo donated its bed
the position of fundraising director because Spradley’s duties include keeping the board
and breakfast for the auction.
somebody had recently left the organization. organized, securing a monthly speaker for
Spradley applied for the position and, to her SPII’s monthly meetings, and assisting with
In the last five years, the organization has
surprise, got it. the annual fundraiser. She added that she
given out more than $20,000 in grants,
helps solicit auction items for the fundraiser.
according to Spradley. She’d like to see
“It’s typically a second and third year board,”
more law students become involved in public
she said. “But they had a position open and “The auction items that we use are mainly
interest law.
let me come on as a second semester law professor-donated items,” she said. “The
student.” entire SPII board solicits auction items from
“I would definitely like to see the numbers
local businesses and professors. Professors
grow,” she said. “We had our first meeting
Spradley said she joined SPII because she donate dinners, brunches, golf games, and
of the year yesterday? and we had the best
wanted to become more involved in the law barbecues. Several professors got together
turnout I’ve seen yet. I am hopeful that we
school and wanted to see more tangible to donate a bowling party.”
will raise more money than ever for summer
returns for her time and effort. grants. It seems that interest in our group is
She said that the professor-donated items
somewhat cyclical, and this incoming class
are designed to “enhance the student/faculty
Last spring, she was chosen to be SPII’s seems more interested than last year’s
relationship” outside of the classroom.
managing director. She said that she was class.”
chosen for the position because she had
Spradley added that the organization also
been with the organization the longest. Although she works to get more students
auctions student-produced items. One
year, a girlfriend, who is an artist, sold her involved in public interest law, Spradley has
Spradley talked a little about the decided to go into corporate law. She said the
paintings at the fundraiser’s silent auction.
organization: decision came about when she was holding
At last year’s fundraiser, several law a summer clerkship in law firm Thompson &
“We raise money all year long and then turn Knight’s Dallas office.
professors put together a reggae band and
around and give that money back, in the
performed for those in attendance.
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“I worked in their corporate section this “She was starting her own nonprofit Spradley graduates on May 12, 2007 and will
summer and enjoyed it, even though it’s organization from the ground up,” Spradley begin her legal career at Thompson Knight
something I’d never done before,” she said. said. “She had gone to law school in her in September of that year. She said she will
“And so when I was offered a position, I 40s after working in children’s services for be the first lawyer in her family. Her parents
readily accepted.” years. She graduated law school with this are both college graduates; her mother is
goal to represent children? who were abused a school teacher, and her father is a truck
She added that the environment at Thompson and neglected. She was a great influence driver.
Knight played a big part in helping her because she has a very strong personality
make the decision. and is very assertive; it took a lot of initiative “They’re very proud of me,” she said.
to do what she is doing.”
“The associates and partners were very
Spradley said her parents instilled in her the
friendly, and it’s a great work atmosphere,” Spradley said her favorite courses include value of always helping others.
she said. her wills and trusts class and her banking
law class. One of the things she likes about “I think they are very down-to-earth people,”
Before the summer clerkship, Spradley
the banking law class is its “practical she said. “I learned from them that you
was seriously considering a career in public
application.” always need to appreciate what you have?
interest law.
and try to help someone else in whatever
She said her banking law professor, Ann
way you can.”
However, she was quick to point out that
Graham, makes the course more enjoyable.
she’s not abandoning public interest work
Spradley has two younger sisters who are
altogether just because she’s going into “I can tell that the professor I have in this
both college graduates. One is a graduate of
corporate law. She said she plans to do class really enjoys teaching the subject,”
the University of Texas, San Antonio, and is in
plenty of pro bono work. Spradley said. “The first day of class she
the hotel service business; the other recently
said, ‘This is my favorite subject to teach,’
graduated from Texas State University with a
“I don’t want it to sound like I’m not an and that really shows through.”
degree in psychology.
advocate for public interest, but that’s not
for me,” she said. “There are so many ways She shared similar sentiments about her
In her free time, Spradley enjoys foreign
that lawyers can help their clients and their wills and trusts professor, Gerry Beyer:
films, learning foreign languages,
communities.”
“He was very enthusiastic about everything, volunteering, and traveling. In addition, she
Spradley said that what she enjoys most even at eight in the morning.” likes to go dancing and has taken Salsa and
about the study of law is the challenge it Swing lessons.
presents. One of Spradley’s favorite law school
memories involves the first SPII talent show
“It’s challenging because I will never know and auction she attended; she and five other ON THE NET
everything about the law,” she said. “There is Texas Tech law students bid on a brunch
with one of the law school’s deans, Torts Texas Tech University School of Law
no way I possibly could. I went to law school
Professor Rick Rosen. www.law.ttu.edu
so I would have a job, a career, where I would
constantly be learning new things. I don’t
“He and his wife hosted us in the spring Thompson Knight
want to settle.”
of our first year,” she said. “We were www.tklaw.com
She said the person who influenced her the actually outbid at the auction by a group of
professors, but after the auction was over, Children’s Legal Services of Houston
most as a law student was attorney Barbara
Dean Rosen invited us to our own brunch. www.childrenslegalservices.org
Stalder, who developed her own nonprofit
organization called Children’s Legal Services We spent at least three hours at his house
of Houston. Spradley met Stalder while she having a wonderful meal, talking, and telling
was working for her as a summer intern in stories. They were so friendly; it was really a
2005. great experience.”
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