Natalie Mispagel knew she wanted to be a lawyer from the time she was 11. Growing up in St. Louis, she was first introduced to the legal profession by watching her mother, a commercial real estate attorney, interact with clients. She was drawn to the strategy, the advocacy, and the way her mother helped people navigate complex transactions. But while law was always in the back of her mind, her focus at the time was competitive figure skating.
Natalie began skating at age six. Coaches told her parents that she was getting a late start, but Natalie’s competitive spirit proved invaluable. By age 12, she had set her sights on Miami University’s synchronized skating team, the best collegiate program in the country. She worked tirelessly to earn a spot on the team, competing all four years of college and serving as captain her junior and senior years. Under her leadership, the team won back-to-back national championships, set a new collegiate scoring record, and went undefeated in her final season.
But Natalie’s road to success wasn’t without challenges. Early in her career, she suffered a serious injury to her L5 vertebrae that forced her to take time away from skating. She reevaluated her path and focused on academics. After majoring in finance and accounting in undergrad, she set out to combine those interests with her passion for law. WashU Law offered a prestigious education and an opportunity to return home to St. Louis.
Now a 1L, Natalie is embracing every aspect of law school. She serves as a Student Bar Association (SBA) representative and is an active member of the Women’s Law Caucus, a group that brings together women in law to share their experiences and insights. Through the Tax Law Society, she has explored her interest in tax law—an involvement that led to a pivotal networking opportunity with a practicing attorney in St. Louis, which ultimately helped her land a summer position with Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago.
Even while balancing the demands of law school, Natalie has made it a priority to stay connected to skating. She coaches two local synchronized skating teams, dedicating 20 hours a week to training a new generation of athletes. Her Juvenile-level team recently placed sixth at a Midwest regional competition, while her Aspire 3 team focuses on providing a fun and supportive environment for skaters who discovered the sport later in life. For Natalie, coaching isn’t just a way to give back—it’s an essential part of her routine.
“Skating is my break from law school,” she says. “It gives me the chance to step away from casebooks and just be present, interacting with people in a different way. And when I come back to studying, I feel refreshed and ready to dive back in.”
As she looks ahead, Natalie is eager to continue exploring tax law and gaining hands-on experience in Big Law. She credits WashU Law’s Career Center for helping her prepare for success, from refining her application materials to practicing for interviews. But she also knows that success isn’t just about academics—it’s about finding balance and making space for the things that fuel her.
Her advice for prospective law students? Study something that genuinely interests you.
“There’s no prerequisite for law school,” she says. “Some of my friends studied biomedical engineering, others studied political science. I chose business because I was interested in it, and that has shaped my path in ways I couldn’t have predicted. Law is such an expansive field—whatever your passion is, there’s a way to connect it to your legal career.”
From the rink to the courtroom, Natalie is proving that passion, discipline, and resilience go hand in hand. And at WashU Law, she’s found the perfect place to bring it all together.
