“I want to see what’s there.  Ignorantly, sticking to one side doesn’t allow you to see the other side at all. Research and writing enforces that view. Writing an appellate brief, I can represent my client’s position, but if I know the other client’s position, I can then explain this why we are right, and this is why their position won’t work. It’s taking all of that into consideration.”

—Rosa Diers

Rosa Diers knew from a young age that she was well suited to practice law. “I was a very argumentative child,” she recalls, “and if someone said something I would take the other side just because I could. And I’m still that kind of a person. It comes from the fact that I like to see both sides, and even if I don’t believe in it, I’m still going to look at it.” This general approach, coupled with her critical thinking and intellectual curiosity, has made studying the law both challenging and refreshing.

Rosa grew up on a farm and over time learned the family business. The experience taught her not only about the value of hard work, but also equipped her with skills that apply to most things she has pursued in life. She has labored diligently: at one point holding down 5 jobs, she worked 40 hours per week while also taking a full undergraduate course load.  For nearly 15 years she worked as a farm hand responsible for organizing and implementing feed schedules, working cattle, fencing, and administering medication, and later she served as a Support Specialist at a Children’s Hospital, as an assistant and tutor at her undergraduate university, and as a secretary for a law firm. 

“My father paid me every week to be a farm hand and a secretary in my free time, and I’m always amazed at how much it transfers to everything,” she says, adding that “homework always came first, of course. I learned at some point that working is just necessary, and it becomes a lot about work ethic, but also about time management, meeting commitments and getting places on time.”

Rosa says her primary reason for selecting Valparaiso University School of Law was its legal writing and research programs, which she says are “a lot stronger than other schools” because of the two-semester requirement for both research and writing. She consulted with friends from other law schools and learned this requirement was rare, as is the book research component rather than online-only resources. The experience from these classes has given her a distinct advantage when applying for a federal clerkship.

Rosa, who received her undergraduate degree in Government, International Studies and Accounting, originally planned to become a corporate tax attorney. However, as a member of the Equal Justice Alliance and the Women Law Students Association, she realizes how many different possibilities exist. In the coming year she will maintain her high academic achievement, sample a wide variety of classes, learn as much as she can, and select a specialization based on her interest and abilities. She plans to return to South Dakota following graduation to begin her career near her family, where she may – from time to time –be asked to work cattle.