Growing up a talkative child, Alexis Cammack was always told she might be a lawyer, but it was growing older and becoming aware of injustices that made her pursue an education in law.
In May, Cammack, 24, graduated from the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. She has been hired by the Department of Public Advocacy as a public defender.
“I realized that Black people are not represented in the legal field, and it solidified me wanting to be a lawyer,” said Cammack in a recent interview. “I want to give people in our community who don’t have a voice a voice.”
“Giving your life and what you have for the benefit of others; it’s what I was taught growing up.”
— Alexis Cammack
The desire to give back stems from her upbringing, said Cammack, a member of St. Augustine Church. Her grandmother, Kathleen Cammack, instilled in her the importance of giving the church one’s “time, talent and treasure.”
“Giving your life and what you have for the benefit of others; it’s what I was taught growing up,” said Cammack.
She said her three years as a law student were challenging. Cammack completed undergraduate studies at the University of Louisville in 2023. At the time, she had already completed her first year of law school. She was part of the school’s 3+3 Program — a pathway that allows certain students at UofL to apply to Brandeis during their third year of undergraduate study for the chance to start law school early, according to the school’s website.
“It was the hardest, most isolating thing I’ve done,” she said. “It’s a different way of thinking. No amount of schooling can prepare you. It’s like learning a new language. … The bulk of it was, you were thrown into the fire and told to fly.”
The foundation laid by her Catholic education and upbringing came into play to strengthen her, said Cammack, a graduate of Nativity Academy at St. Boniface and Presentation Academy.
“Nativity prepared me for high school, that next step in my Catholic education. I was equipped with diverse areas of learning. It wasn’t cookie-cutter,” she said.
Nativity also helped her to find her voice.
“It helped me step into being a Black woman, being able to stand firm in that and what that means,” she said. “Nativity allowed me to figure out who I was and how to use my voice as a Black woman without feeling like I was neglecting other parts of me or the diversity in my family,” she said, noting she comes from a blended and mixed family.
Nativity’s Graduate Support Program was also there for her.
“Nativity followed me every step of the way,” she said. The program checked in with her each quarter during her time at Presentation.
She was invited to join Nativity’s junior associate board while she was in college. She felt she was always connected to the school. “I knew they were still there. That’s just who and what Nativity is.”
Suzanne Haugh, who oversees the graduate program at Nativity, said it’s a “blessing and privilege” to be able to journey with graduates.
“At the very top, we’re about trying to remove barriers or help them navigate barriers so they can pursue their goals and have a fulfilling life,” Haugh said. “We say ‘Nativity for life’ because we continue the relationship with older graduates,” like Cammack.
Last fall, Nativity was among several Catholic entities that contributed funds so Cammack could hold an expungement clinic at the Catholic Enrichment Center on West Broadway, Haugh said. The center is a ministry of the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Multicultural Ministry.
Cammack said 140 attended the event and 40 were eligible for expungement. While in law school, Cammack volunteered with the Kentucky Innocence Project, where she learned how expungement works, she said.
Haugh said this is one small example of how Nativity supports its graduates.
“They’re doing lots of great things in different places,” she said.
Graduates have gone on to work in a variety of professions, including education and criminal justice. Some have become carpenters and electricians; others are in medical school and aviation school.
Cammack said the graduate support program also has the benefit of helping graduates stay connected. Her roommates are also Nativity graduates, pursuing careers in criminal justice and non-profit leadership, she said.
Cammack — who was honored May 17 at the African American Catholic Leadership Awards Dinner — said her immediate goal is to serve the community as a public defender in the criminal justice system. She would like to pursue civil rights law in the future, she said.
