Law School in Laramie: Piedmont Prepared Abby Mauldin Well 

Elle Woods aside, getting into law school isn’t easy. Just ask Abby Mauldin, who graduated from Piedmont University in May 2024 with a psychology degree. These days, she wakes up in Laramie and attends law school at the University of Wyoming.

That is about 1,600 miles away from the first-generation college student Mauldin was when she came to Piedmont. Her family supported her decision to go to law school but weren’t sure how to help otherwise. That is where Piedmont’s Director of Career Services Lisa Mann came in.

“Oh, Lisa and I are best friends,” Mauldin said. “I started around this time — March — last year and I was in her office every other week. Lisa was the first person I told that after my roommates that I got into Wyoming. I would not have known what to do.”

Mauldin devotes most of her time now to reading and researching. The daily load is heavier than she has ever experienced.

“I read probably around 200 pages a week on top of research assignments,” Mauldin said. “A lot of law is research and writing and those are two things that I really got to develop at Piedmont that have really served me well here. I was always researching, always on the library website looking for something. Piedmont gave me those foundational skills.”

As she works her way through school, Mauldin will explore civil and criminal law. For now, she’s leaning toward a defense practice.

“I think I might enjoy criminal law. I’ve started exploring that interest with one of my professors who is a big-shot criminal defense attorney and still practicing, so that’s cool,” Mauldin said. “But I also really enjoyed our civil classes, like on torts and procedure. I have applied for several jobs this summer with civil defense firms, so we’ll see how that pans out.” 

Mauldin graduated from Piedmont after just three years, so many of her classmates are still at the university. She misses them and Piedmont, her “home away from home.” 

“Honestly, I, I loved my time there. I talk about it a lot. One of the best decisions I've ever made was going to Piedmont,” Mauldin said. “It prepared me in so many ways for what I'm doing now and just as a person, it allowed me time to develop before moving to the next step of my life, which I think is so important.”

For more information about Career Services and the Student Success Center, visit piedmont.edu/student-success-center/.