Rachel Mosser recently graduated from Campbell University with a Law Degree. She passed the bar this summer in North Carolina and is eager to get her career in law underway.
Rachel’s whole life she has wanted to be a prosecutor. Working at the district attorney’s office recently Rachel also interned with the North Carolina Department of Justice the summer after her first year in law school in the Capital Litigation and Habeas Corpus Division, and that also solidified that prosecution was the right path for her. Always having a passion for prosecution from that point on, Rachel tailored her schedule to take courses that would help her further her education in prosecution. These have included a plea bargaining course and the North Carolina Prosecution Advocacy course taught by Professor Overton-Spahos, who is the Chief Resource Prosecutor for the NC Conference of District Attorneys in North Carolina.
Rachel Mosser also had other internships and experiences that confirmed to her that she would prefer to see a case firsthand, rather than appellate review or postconviction work. For Rachel, it will be more meaningful to be the first person to work on a case from the beginning.
What do you love most about the industry you are in?
What I really love is the ability to work with a diverse group of people. You are not just doing a job every day. You are also dealing with the personal aspects of the job. You work with law enforcement officers, investigators, victims, witnesses, defense attorneys, juries, and judges.
What keeps you motivated?
My family keeps me motivated. I want to make my parents proud. I am so grateful whenever I hear my parents talking about me with admiration for what I’ve done. That pushes me to be as great as I can be. I keep striving for more to make myself proud as well.
How do you motivate others?
It is always important to motivate others. In my third year of law school, I took on a position as peer mentor to first year students and it gave me the opportunity to help motivate those students and help them to be as successful as possible. Law school is hard, but you can do it. To be compassionate, understanding, and empathetic is the way to go about life.
Who has been a role model to you and why?
My grandfather began his career as a defense attorney and then went on to become a judge. Unfortunately, I did not get to spend a lot of time with him because he passed when I was young, but I was able to review my grandfather’s journals and also have had great conversations with my dad and grandmother about him. I always feel like there is so much of him that is in me. I feel I am meant to do what I am doing because I feel such a connection to him. He has definitely motivated me and been an inspiration.
How do you maintain a solid work life balance?
I don’t anticipate that will be a struggle for me. I make sure that I make time for my family and friends and that I have time to accomplish what I want at work. I am diligent and hard working. I have that passion and drive to be an excellent employee. For me, what is important is setting boundaries for myself so I don’t overextend.
What traits do you possess that make you a successful leader?
I am a successful leader because of my ability to organize and my ability to speak proficiently. I don’t ever hold back from what I want to say. If that means commanding the room, if that means taking the podium, or if that means organizing things and collecting funds, I am always ready to do my very best.
What suggestions do you have for someone starting in your industry?
Just take things one day at a time. I always give my contact information to the first year students I have been able to mentor. I encourage them to reach out to me when they have questions or if they need help. For the new law student, be very present and very aware of what you are getting into. This is a professional program and you need to put the time into it. Be sure you have someone in law school that you can go to for help, but also someone outside of law school that you can call when you need encouragement and need a break from the law school environment.
Outside of work, what defines you as a person?
I have a strong connection to my family. We moved to South Carolina from Ontario, Canada when I was eight years old. It was difficult because we left behind my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles, but the U.S. is home for us now. My immediate family are the only ones here in the United States. We have been a very close-knit family. We used to have family dinners every night which is becoming difficult as we move away and start our own families. However, we constantly stay in touch.