Kelli Schmidt
About Kelli: I attended Illinois State University, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree, and I enjoyed working for the auditorium on campus for three years. There I helped run events that sometimes featured celebrities, including Wiz Khalifa and Robin Williams.
Previous Legal and/or Professional Experience: I first became interested in the legal field through my dad, who was a police officer for 35 years. When I decided I wanted to become an attorney, I interned for the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office—where I worked with traffic and misdemeanor cases—the Domestic Victims Unit, and the DUI Court. Over the summer, I was rehired to work in the Special Victims Unit, where I worked with abuse cases.
What activities are you involved in? At NIU Law, I plan to get involved in the Trial Advocacy Society, the Federalist Society, and the Criminal Law Society, because those are all areas of the law that I am excited about. In the past, I served as a mentor for underprivileged children in the Bloomington-Normal area, and in my spare time, I enjoy working on craft projects with my mom and spending time with my family.
This interview was conducted in Fall 2012.