When alumna Heidi Post (’14) thinks about what makes the Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law community so unique – beyond the skills she acquired that have served her well in her career – she thinks back to the week her babysitter called in sick. As a law student and mother of three toddlers, she was faced with the choice of either attending class or staying home to take care of her children. That is, until her classmates intervened.

“Within minutes of sending an email asking for help, I had all of it covered and I made it to every class,” she said. “It was one of those moments where you stop to think that things like this don’t happen, especially in law school, but it was a real thing at Fowler.”

She went on to graduate in the top of her class, pursue a successful career in litigation, teach as an adjunct professor in the Mediation Clinic and, most recently, accept the title of Assistant Director of Student and Alumni Services at the law school. As such, she hopes to draw upon her own experiences to inspire an even stronger sense community for both groups.

For students, that simply may mean offering an ear beyond her usual role in assisting with student organizations and events. She remembers well the stresses of law school, and wants to help where she can.

“As someone who’s not that far removed, the student experience is not that distant for me,” she said. “Law school is a tough thing to do, and I really look forward to being able to walk students through both their ups and downs.”

By building connections with students, she hopes she can instill one of the greatest lessons she learned during her time at Fowler School of Law: the benefits of working together.

“Yes, we were competing against each other, and yes, we were on a bell curve,” she said. “But I never felt there was a person I wasn’t willing to share information with. It was a true discourse community. The experience taught me that encountering these new legal concepts is so much more significant and has more staying power when you’re discussing and working through them together.”

When it comes to connecting with alumni, Heidi’s main focus is helping to find new and more accessible ways to engage with the Fowler School of Law community.

“I’m really excited about building relationships across the board and being someone who can generate excitement for our alumni,” she said. “I think there are many who would love to tie into the community, but they don’t really know where they would fit or how to do that with their hectic schedules.”

Upcoming alumni events and opportunities include a class of 2007 happy hour on August 4, the annual fall Alumni Mixer in September, and the Chapman Homecoming Chili Cook-Off on October 1. If you’re interested in participating in any of these events, have a suggestion for a new or different event, or simply want to welcome Heidi, please email her at hpost@chapman.edu!