For Lauren Frazier ’27, a scholarship did more than make law school possible—it gave her the freedom to discover what kind of lawyer she wants to become.
That freedom gave her room to explore, but the determination behind that pursuit was shaped long before law school. Growing up on a row-crop farm in Canton, Missouri—a small farming town where her high school graduating class totaled just 23 students—she learned early on that work ethic isn’t something you learn from a book. It’s built over 16-hour workdays in the summer heat, clearing brush, wielding equipment, and coaxing a stubborn 1980s combine harvester to run before the rain sets in.
“On the farm, it didn't matter if a job took an hour or 16 hours. It just had to get done,” Frazier reflects. “I think about the practice of law in the same way. People are trusting us with their liberty, their livelihoods, and their lives. That's a big responsibility, and you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and get the work done.”
Where Hard Work Meets Opportunity
Frazier carried that Midwestern work ethic to Truman State University, where studying economics and health policy sparked an interest in the role law could play in shaping healthcare. She knew she wanted to pursue a J.D., but ambition and hard work were only half the equation. Scholarship support helped clear the financial hurdle and brought Minnesota Law within reach.
“I quite frankly would not be able to attend Minnesota Law without philanthropic support,” Frazier says candidly. “It gave me the opportunity to consider Minnesota in the first place.”
That financial freedom has translated directly into high-impact practical training. At Minnesota Law, Frazier has served as student director of the Child Advocacy and Juvenile Justice Clinic, completed an externship in a Hennepin County judge’s chambers, spent a summer with Alaska’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and trained alongside health law experts in Milwaukee. Each experience has sharpened her focus on building a career centered on health policy and public service.
Forty-Two Years of Paying It Forward
Stephen “Steve” Peterson ’67 remembers what it felt like when Minnesota Law opened a door for him. More than five decades later, he is still finding ways to hold that door open for others.
Peterson first considered Minnesota Law after an inspiring lunch visit with Dean William B. Lockhart during his senior year at St. Olaf College. His Law School education led to a 33-year career at Deluxe Corporation, where he served as General Counsel, followed by executive legal roles at American Express and Ameriprise Financial.
Now retired, Peterson remains closely connected to campus and the legal profession. He routinely audits undergraduate classes, attends public lectures at the Law School, and serves on the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board. His most enduring connection, though, may be his 42 consecutive years of giving to Minnesota Law.
“State support made attending law school possible for me when tuition was $175 a quarter, but that landscape has changed,” Peterson reflects. “I had the benefit of a world-class legal education, and I’m in a position to pay it back. I want to make that same opportunity available for today’s students.”
Peterson gives to the Annual Fund, trusting the Law School to direct his support where it can have the greatest impact. Scholarships, in particular, resonate with him. He knows firsthand what an opportunity to attend Minnesota Law can mean, and he wants today’s students to have the freedom to make the most of theirs.
"When I see current students at the Law School at our various gatherings showing genuine enthusiasm for the law, I am reassured that I am putting my support in the right place," Peterson says with a smile.
Full Circle: A Shared Commitment
For a student navigating the demands of legal education, knowing that alumni like Peterson choose to invest in her potential provides a steadying anchor.
“So many things in law school are brand new and challenging, but knowing your scholarship support is squared away takes away a huge amount of stress,” shares Frazier. “It lets you focus entirely on becoming the best advocate you can be for the future clients who will rely on you.”
Peterson's story and Frazier's are separated by more than 50 years, but they share a common thread: an opportunity made possible by Minnesota Law. Peterson has spent decades helping create that opportunity for others. Frazier is only beginning to imagine what she might do with hers—and how she might someday pass it on.
“I want to say thank you to every single donor,” Frazier says. “It’s such an incredible act of paying it forward. I hope to be in that position someday, because I’m seeing firsthand how beneficial it is.”