Laura A. Schroeder is the founding partner of Schroeder Law Offices. Long respected in the water rights arena, Laura has generously shared her valuable experiences and provided some great advice. A few questions we asked Laura:
What motivated you to practice water law and start Schroeder Law Offices?
I used to work on a farm and did work related to irrigation. From that experience, I learned the importance of water. Also, my father was a lawyer and I got Influenced by him and became a lawyer. In my early practice years, I worked in a number of law firms and practiced in different areas of law. I then realized that my passion was in water law, so I started my practice.
What is your go-to productivity trick? How do you stay motivated?
The most important thing is that I really enjoy what I do, and I like the people I work with, so I always get motivated when I work. Also, I have the habit of mediation. Meditation helps me center myself.
What do you consider the most important thing about being a good lawyer?
I find the most important thing is to be proud of your profession. I dislike jokes about lawyers because that is disrespectful.
Where can I find you on the weekend?
I love spending time with my family! Last weekend I helped with cleaning at my son’s place, and the week before that I attended my niece’s wedding. I always consider family the most important thing. When I have free time, I also help with writing family genealogy.
What is one thing you like the most about working at Schroeder Law Office?
I like it because lawyering is an intellectually challenging job. In the legal profession, the challenge you need to face constantly changes, and you need to develop new strategies based on the new challenge. Also, at Schroeder Law Offices, everyone has different perspectives on solving problems. I enjoy discussing and developing new strategies with everyone.
Do you have some advice that you can give to young lawyers and law students who are interested in water law?
Beside law school, it is important to have real-life practice experiences as much as possible, because in the legal profession you need to work with people. When I started to practice, I did clerkship with the government, worked with my father, and worked in private law firms. I learned from that experience that working with different kinds of people and lawyers is essential, because it offers you an opportunity to learn from the people you interact with. If you just focus on just one thing, you will definitely miss out on other things.
