Vol. 32, No. 1, 9. One Attorney's Personal Story.

• Author: By Amanda K. Roberts

Wyoming Bar Journal

2009.

Vol. 32, No. 1, 9.

One Attorney's Personal Story

Wyoming Lawyer Issue: February, 2009 One Attorney's Personal Story By Amanda K. Roberts

Back in 2001, my marriage was falling apart. My income was below the poverty level and I simply could not afford to hire an attorney. My spouse, on the other hand, had the financial support of his family and hired an attorney to obtain custody of our son. I was terrified at the thought that I would lose custody of my child simply because I could not afford representation. I did not know where to turn. During this time, I was working for child support enforcement and had confided in the agency's attorney, Jodie Thompson, about my situation. Without hesitation, Jodie graciously offered to handle my divorce without compensation. I cannot express the relief I felt knowing that I would have a voice in court and that I would be on equal footing with my soon-to-be-ex-husband.

Jodie's kindness did not stop there. I was unsure of what life had in store for me after the divorce and I didn't know how I would support my family. Jodie encouraged me to apply for law school and wrote an amazing letter of recommendation for me. She also talked to other community members about potential scholarships for law school and provided letters of recommendations for those applications as well. She continued to...