JESSIE NICHOLSON AND SMRLS
of the secular Franciscan Order. When she has a chance to travel, she loves going to Italy, where she stays in monasteries and takes the opportunity to explore different communities. Her faith keeps her humble, she said, as does a black-and- white photo of her as a 6-month- old, which sits on a file cabinet in her office. “I look at that daily because it tells me you’re nothing more or you’re nothing less than what it is that God gave you and that’s the life when you’re just a teeny person. I do a job, but that’s not who I am,” said Nicholson, gesturing to the baby picture. “That’s who I am.”
“When I interviewed with Jessie before receiving her offer to work at SMRLS, Jessie stated that her goal for SMRLS was to work itself out of existence,” Orr said. “I was struck by her ability to state so candidly and precisely that true dedication to the work that she loves involves active pursuit of making the work unnecessary.”
“She works tirelessly to support our staff members so we can offer our clients the effective, confident and compassionate representation that they deserve,” Laffey said. “It is this strong, committed, selfless leadership that has resonated with me the most.” As a staff attorney for SMRLS working in the family law practice group, Jonathan Engel ’15 J.D. said Nicholson has encouraged him to not be afraid to step out of his comfort zone and to be bold in his professional goals. “Jessie leads through her passionate service of our clients and the entire staff,” Engel said.
ONE OF THE JOYS OF NICHOLSON’S JOB IS THE ABILITY
TO ADD ENTHUSIASTIC LAWYERS TO HER STAFF, INCLUDING ST. THOMAS LAWGRADUATES, WHO WILL BRING SMRLS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, NICHOLSON SAID. “One of the things I’ve noticed with St. Thomas graduates is that most of them come in looking at the practice of law from a values-based position,” Nicholson said. “I can ask certain kinds of questions and their responses are clear that they actually are looking to give something to the profession based on their values. I’ve never had an experience of interviewing a St. Thomas lawyer where I haven’t come away with it feeling very edified.” Colin Laffey ’15 J.D. is an attorney with SMRLS’ Agricultural Worker Project, where he represents agricultural workers in employment matters, resolving issues such as wage theft, health and safety concerns and inadequate worker housing. He said Nicholson leads her staff with a “quiet confidence and determination.
STAYING HUMBLE Throughout her time with
SMRLS, Nicholson has earned numerous accolades for her work, including being named to AARP Minnesota and Pollen’s 50 Over 50 list last year. Her bio on the SMRLS website includes too many accomplishments to list, but here are some: Nicholson has been recognized by the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) Civil Litigation Section with the Advocate Award (2014) and the Minnesota Black Women Lawyers Network Achievement Award (2013). She was featured in the exhibit “A Celebration of Women in Law,” organized by the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. While she has every right to boast about her accomplishments, she doesn’t. However, she does share how important her faith is to her, that she sings in the St. Paul Cathedral choir and is a member
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