GSEP proudly welcomes Jessie Freeman as a law clerk. Jessie started in late May and hit the ground running. She is a 3L at Washburn University School of Law. Jessie says she has not yet settled on one area of law yet, but is interested in elder, malpractice, estate planning, and veteran law. The variety of cases that GSEP handles, Jessie says, combined with a great atmosphere is already giving her a taste of several different areas of law. She is confident that with the help of the firm's attorneys, she will zero in on which areas she wants to pursue.
With a proud record of military service, Jessie makes an excellent addition to GSEP's staff. She served in the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2) and a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot until she was honorably discharged. Of her time flying helicopters in the Army, she says the most valuable lessons she took away were "to listen to perspectives of people from different backgrounds, upbringings and countries; how to communicate effectively with all kinds of personality types; and exactly how blessed we are to live in the United States."
After she was no longer able to fly Army helicopters for a living, she decided to pursue a legal career, because she believes advocacy is a way to continue serving her community, and she is excited to step into that role. And stepped into that role, she has.
Jessie has already become an advocate in her community through various leadership roles and service projects. She is a Court Appointed Special Advocate. She also serves as Vice President of the Veterans Legal Association of Washburn and is active in the Rural Practice Association. Even more, she is currently President of the Federalist Society, a board member of the Topeka-based Military Veteran Project, and is a member of several women-centric aviation associations. Perhaps most significantly, Jessie is passionate about helping veterans transition from the military to civilian life successfully and decreasing veteran suicides.
Jessie's educational background is already impressive. She attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie, where she earned a BA in Political Science and History. While in the Army, she graduated several flight school and survival courses, earned her Commercial Helicopter License, and studied Ag-Business at K-State for several semesters before starting law school.
In her spare time, Jessie loves archery, hunting, kayaking, and reading non-legal textbooks. She also raises chickens, turkeys, and ducks and owns cats and a horse. She says she was impressed by GSEP's reputation before starting work at the firm and has not been disappointed.
GSEP has a proud history of employing and serving military servicemembers and veterans, including former GSEP partner Harry W. Colmery, who authored and lobbied for passage of the G.I. Bill of Rights. We are thrilled to add Jessie to that history.