Rhianna Fairchild was a paralegal for five years before scoring in the top 10% on the LSAT and receiving a full academic scholarship to attend The University of Tulsa’s College of Law. That recognition and act of generosity sparked a desire to pay it forward.
Through her externship at Moyers Martin, Fairchild began offering pro bono estate planning for first responders in Bixby, a suburb of Tulsa. In addition, Bixby teachers can receive legal support at a discounted rate. She hopes to expand the services to her hometown of Glenpool, too. Estate planning can include creating a will, an advance directive, a power of attorney, and even a trust.
Fairchild, who has been visually impaired her whole life and lost the majority of her eyesight before attending UTulsa, said it’s important to give back.
“I am basically blind, and it’s always been really important for me to help others,” she said. “Once I lost my sight, I felt like that was harder to do in more traditional ways, and so I had the desire to use my legal skills to do that.”
After graduation in May, Fairchild plans to continue working in the field of estate planning. “It’s something that I’ve had experience in and I feel like I know the most about,” she said. “I’m open to other areas of law, but I feel like that’s just the one that I could help the most in right now.”
Kevinn Matthews (J.D. ’98) met Fairchild on campus a few years ago, and the two hit it off. An attorney at Moyers Martin, Matthews facilitated Fairchild’s externship at the law firm. “If I could boil it down to one word, she’s an inspiration,” he said.