Rachel S. Schoon

Rachel grew up in Brandon, South Dakota. After high school she attended South Dakota State University where she double majored in Speech Communication and Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies. She graduated magna cum laude and as a member of the Honors College. Outside the classroom, Rachel worked as a receptionist at a law firm, served as the president of the pre-law society, was on the speech and debate team, and was elected student body vice president.

While applying to law schools, she received an academic full-ride scholarship to Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She became a member, and eventually a leader, of Regent’s Moot Court team. She helped her team beat top-ranked law schools, and in her 3rd year, Regent’s Moot Court team rose to the rank of 11th in the nation. She is especially proud of her time working for Regent’s Center for Global Justice, assisting in providing pro bono legal aid to survivors of human trafficking (both labor and sex trafficking). This was the most rewarding part of Rachel’s law school experience.

After law school, Rachel returned home to South Dakota and worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Mark A. Moreno in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, which gave her valuable experience with constitutional criminal procedure, civil discovery, and habeas corpus relief.