According to family lore, recalls homeschool graduate and newly hired HSLDA attorney Amy Buchmeyer, “I walked into the kitchen when I was 6 years old and said I wanted to be a lawyer.”

She wasn’t sure then what lawyers did—she thought it involved a lot of yelling.

Nevertheless, the pronouncement stuck, and in May 2020 she graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

In fall 2020, she joined Home School Legal Defense Association’s legal team. It’s not easy to determine who was more excited by the staff expansion—Amy herself, or those who offered her the job.

“We’re elated to have Amy on board,” says HSLDA President Mike Smith. “With the homeschool surge prompted by the ongoing pandemic, she’s just the sort of person we need to help advocate for our growing membership.”