Last spring, Rachel Myers (’11) landed her dream job when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to serve as judge in the Volusia County Court.
“I’ve always wanted to be a judge,” she said. “It’s really the pinnacle of the legal career. I didn’t think I’d get it this quickly, but I’m thrilled that I have.”
Myers was a prosecutor at the State Attorney’s Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida from 2011-15. She then went into private practice, first as an associate at a Florida law firm before becoming the managing partner at her own firm, Myers Law Group, P.A.
Reflecting on her legal journey, she expressed her gratitude for Liberty Law’s integral role.
“The lawyering skills program is exceptional,” she said. “Sometimes people say that school doesn’t prepare you for what the real world has, and that is true. But the lawyering skills program took me a lot further than most schools (could have).”
Although Myers graduated from Liberty Law over a decade ago, she is grateful for the lifetime connection it offers graduates.
“There’s an environment of support that lasts beyond the three years that you are there,” she said.
When Myers first enrolled in law school, she was already several years into her struggle with Stargardt disease, a rare genetic eye disease that causes vision loss. She was first diagnosed near the end of high school after losing close to 80 percent of her vision in a matter of weeks.
“It’s been a huge hurdle, but I’m definitely grateful to (use) it as a motivator,” she said.
While at Liberty, Myers used large magnifying machines to assist in her schoolwork, and she continues to do so as a judge. She often reminds people that although she has difficulty seeing, she is more than capable of doing what her job requires.
“As I’ve explained over the years, it’s not my brain, it’s my eyes,” she said. “I can do what other people do, I can do what other judges do. I just do it a little differently. Having a hurdle in front of me makes me that much more determined to overcome it.”
This article was originally published as part of a package on Liberty University School of Law. Read additional articles:
Law Alumni Spotlight: Based in D.C., graduate defends core values of the Christian faith
