Former Indiana FFA state officer Sarah Correll is now an attorney with Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis. She talks with Hoosier Ag Today’s C.J. Miller about the need for more students to consider a career in agriculture law. Photo: Andy Eubank / Hoosier Ag Today.
Sarah Correll has come a long way since she was a state officer with Indiana FFA in 2011-2012. She is now an attorney with Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis.
With the 93rd Indiana FFA State Convention running June 13-16, Sarah is strongly encouraging current members who are passionate about the ag industry to consider a career in agricultural law.
Sarah says she decided to become an ag attorney when she was serving in FFA.
“When I was growing up in Miami County, this was not on my horizon,” says Sarah. “Law school was not my plan and I think that there’s value in sharing these stories and sharing that these jobs even exist.”
Sarah says there’s a huge need for attorneys in rural communities to help guide farmers and their families with estate planning, as well as drafting, negotiating and executing legal contracts.
Those who have been raised in rural areas already have a better understanding of the legal needs in those communities, she says.
“We do things a little bit differently in agriculture. We think a little differently from a cultural standpoint, we do things a little bit differently in terms of what those assets are and then there’s a little bit more of a connection to those in some spaces. [There’s] a little bit more of a tie to keep the land in the family and those are areas where it’s really helpful to have someone who is from rural communities [and] someone who grew up in agriculture or around agriculture to go back to work with this communities [and] someone who really understands those areas.”
Sarah recommends students look into Indiana University’s program to place law students in rural areas – and says more FFA students should consider that career path.
“We have the Rural Justice Institute that is placing law students with rural judges. Those are judges and courts that typically are not going to get that unpaid labor, and so by subsidizing those programs the law school specifically through [Indiana University] are placing more young law students in those communities and hopefully getting them to build some ties with those communities,” according to Sarah.
She also says Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Indiana University’s McKinney School of Law at IUPUI in Indianapolis have partnered to offer a dual degree program in agricultural law. Students who complete the program will receive a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and Master of Jurisprudence from IU McKinney.
Click HERE to read more about the Rural Justice Initiative at Indiana University.
Click HERE to read more about the joint Purdue and IU dual degree program in agricultural law.
Click HERE to read Sarah Correll’s bio with Ice Miller.
Click BELOW to hear C.J. Miller’s report on former FFA state officer Sarah Correll and her push to encourage current FFA members to consider a career in ag law.
