Oakwood grad becomes assistant public defender

Nov. 14—OAKWOOD — When Oakwood High School graduate Shaina Andrews first started thinking about pursuing a career in law, what solidified her decision was wanting to give people a second chance.

Shaina, 25, now is an assistant public defender in Vermilion County.

Shaina said her interest in law started in seventh grade.

She said she'd see teenagers and people in their 20s in Vermilion County going to prison.

"It made me want to represent them. I want to focus on juvenile law," Shaina said.

She said no case affected someone close to her, but she'd see something on social media, such as a 16-year-old sentenced to years in prison.

She said she'd think about how this is a person in high school.

Shaina said it'd make her sad thinking about the victim and the person who committed the crime, and how two lives were being destroyed.

She said she could see herself prosecuting, if she started with misdemeanors and small crime, but she would want to defend in felony cases, she said.

"I just have a heart for those I guess," she said.

Shaina also participated in Peer Court in junior high and high school.

Peer Court is a diversion program that aims to help first time juvenile offenders take responsibility for their actions. During a Peer Court trial, juveniles are sentenced by a jury of their peers.

"That got me started too in thinking (about being) an attorney and advocate for juveniles. I just loved it. So, I'm like, I'm going to law school, and I just knew I was going to do it. It's a good program," Shaina said.

Shaina would represent the defendant before the Peer Court judge. Sometimes she would prosecute and sometimes she and the other teens would sit in the jury and they'd have to say what they agree with, such as if more community service is recommended or they think the juvenile should write a letter to the victim.

In addition, Shaina's faith is another part of her reason for wanting to defend people.

"Everyone deserves a second chance," she said. "I always think good people make bad choices and it doesn't make them a bad person."

Shaina said she'll initially be a criminal defense attorney in the Vermilion County Public Defender's Office at the Vermilion County Courthouse. She'd like to open up her own law practice one day to focus on juvenile law, but she wants to do criminal defense, and probably will add in family law.

Vermilion County Public Defender Mike Mara says Shaina started in his office right after she graduated high school in June 2017 as a legal secretary.

She maintained that position for about one year before she left the office to head to college.

In the summer of 2022, Shaina interned in the office and was able to appear in court under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711. She said she could perform attorney duties as long as another attorney was inside the room supervising her. She did a lot of plea deals, she said.

Now she's starting as an assistant public defender this month.

"When I met Shaina I was impressed with her maturity and her desire to learn. At that time I had no idea that one day I would be hiring her to work as an attorney in the office, but looking back now, she has always possessed the qualities that are going to make her successful," according to Mara.

"She was a great legal secretary and was interested in learning why things were happening. Shaina is well prepared and is able to effectively communicate with a wide variety of people," he added.

"When I found out she was interested in returning to Vermilion County, I knew I definitely wanted to have her work with us at the Public Defender's Office. Luckily for me, the timing worked out and I had a position available to offer her," he stated.

Mara has been the Vermilion County Public Defender since Dec. 2016.

"The office is busy and all of the attorneys are in court most every day. We have an office manager, an investigator, and three legal secretaries and I am truly lucky to have the attorneys and support staff that I do. Public Defender work can be very stressful and my general idea is to create an office environment that doesn't add to anyone's stress and I think we have accomplished that," Mara stated.

Mentors, support

After graduating Oakwood High School, Shaina graduated Danville Area Community College, where she also ran cross country, and Illinois State University with a bachelor's degree in political science and legal studies.

She graduated in May 2023 from The University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.

She passed the bar exam on her first try. She said she studied every day for about two and a half months.

"It was miserable, but I just wanted to do it one time," Shaina said.

She had been in about the top 35-38 percent of her class, so based on statistics, she thought she was going to pass the bar, but she was still worried.

Her parents, Susan, a second-grade teacher at Schlarman Academy and former 30-year operator of Rainbow of Hope Primary School, and Shawn, a farmer, have been supportive and are proud.

Shaina said she thinks she got her education drive from her mom and grandma, accountant Phyllis Parks.

As a new attorney, Shaina was sworn in on Oct. 3 in Vermilion County by Judge Derek Girton. She was sworn in by the Arkansas Supreme Court on Oct. 6.

Shaina had been working on a Champaign case, with an out-of-state attorney, representing someone with a motion she filed. It was a first for her in questioning witnesses and doing the opening arguments for a jury trial.

Shaina will be getting lots of experience at the public defender's office with being in the courtroom for trials.

She said she's one of two misdemeanor attorneys with the public defender's office, handling misdemeanor and traffic cases. There also are about five to six felony attorneys, Shaina said.

Shaina said she initially didn't see herself coming back to Vermilion County.

"I thought I would graduate school and then hop to another state," she said. "But I still plan to venture out. I just want to come back here because I'm not really sure where I want to go. I know I want to go to a different state, maybe like Tennessee or Colorado or something, I don't know, Texas. Somewhere different than Danville, Illinois."

She knew she liked working here, so she's excited to get her first experience here.

Her dream job would be working juvenile department cases.

She's currently living at home with her mom. At the beginning of October, she went back to Arkansas to pack up her house.

Shaina said a courtroom trial can be like theater and who can put on the best show.

But when she watches television shows and movies with courtroom scenes, she said court isn't always that dramatic. A lot of the terminology is accurate, she said, but she can't watch TV the same now that she's been to law school. She said she judges everything and is critical when something isn't portrayed correctly.

She said some people may think they can represent themself in court cases. If someone can't afford to hire private counsel, a judge can appoint a public defender.

"You can tell your own story, but you don't know how to tell the story. That's what lawyers are for. We know the procedure and all the rules of evidence," Shaina said.

She thinks it's fun to talk to the witnesses, expert witnesses, read the police reports and statements and watch videos to prepare for cases.

She said as attorneys, they're there to tell the story and what happened.

Her advice to local high school students considering going into law, is to find a mentor, a lawyer who can guide you in the right direction.

She didn't have anyone in the law field until working in the public defender's office going to DACC. In high school, through College Express, she had criminal justice instructor Rickey Williams who kind of became her mentor.

Shaina said she'd always talk to him since taking his class her senior year of high school, and she still messages him and gets his advice.

In addition, at the public defender's office, office manager Misty Harrold, also has been a close friend and reference and helped her along the way.

In addition to finding a mentor, Shaina also encourages high school seniors to not stop their education by taking a gap year. Go to college and then law school, because you'll be 25, but you'll have your degree, she said.

She said her parents also have been great, starting a college fund when she was young.

Shaina said she's heard some people say they never knew someone who went to law school. She said Vermilion County got her on the right path, and "anyone can do it. If you want to do it, you can do it. It's possible."

Shaina's free time is spent playing with her two dogs, and she still enjoys running. She ran track in junior high school and started running cross country in high school.

She's run a half marathon and wants to run a full marathon.

She has two older sisters. Savannah lives in Bismarck and has three children, and Samantha lives in Indianapolis. Shaina said she attends her two nephews' and her niece's sporting events too.

She'd like to have a family one day, if it comes, but as long as she's always in the courtroom, she sees herself being happy.