Brookfield Central Class of 2006

Alex Twinem is a Lancer alumnus currently working for the law firm of Gupta Wessler PLLC, an expert litigation boutique that argues high-stakes cases in the United States Supreme Court.

Alex's educational journey took her from Dixon Elementary to Wisconsin Hills Middle School to Brookfield Central. At Central, she spent most of her time outside of school with the debate team, also participating in Freshman/JV soccer and the National Honor Society. "I appreciate how flexible and understanding my teachers were to accommodate my experiences and trips with the debate team and other school programs," reflected Twinem. "Brookfield Central was great with helping students explore their interests both inside and outside of its walls and constantly offering new classes." Alex thanked her Elmbrook teachers: Alice Rast for sharing her excitement towards learning, Patrick Perez for modeling a great teaching style filled with student interaction, and Former Principal Donald Labonte for his kindness and attention to the lives of all students.

Alex graduated from Central in 2006 and continued her education at Northwestern University (NU). While attending NU, Alex was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and volunteered with the Peer Health Exchange to teach health classes in Chicago public schools. She also tutored incarcerated men studying for their GED exams through the SAFER Foundation and interned for a summer at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, among other opportunities.

Alex graduated from NU in 2010 and moved to South Korea where she taught English for three years. Upon moving back to the United States, Alex began attending Stanford Law School for her Juris Doctorate degree. While there she worked on the executive board of the Stanford Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Stanford Law Review. Following her Stanford graduation in 2016, she spent two years clerking for federal judges; Judge Stephen Reinhardt and Judge Alison J. Nathan. "Clerking allows law students to learn how a judge thinks and to develop effective writing and argument strategies," Twinem stated. In her work, Alex was part of the team involved in representing the landmark civil rights case of Obergefell v. Hodges.

Today, Alex is the Appellate and Constitutional Litigation Fellow at the law firm of Gupta Wessler PLLC in Washington, D.C., a firm specializing in appellate work in the state and federal courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. "Our work helps protect the average person from being unfairly hurt by big corporations," said Alex. "It's intellectually-stimulating, rewarding work that benefits others and helps make the world a better place."

Join the new Elmbrook Alumni Network to engage with fellow alums at alumni.elmbrookschools.org!

For more alumni stories and district updates, follow Elmbrook Schools on LinkedIn. To recommend an alum for our series, please click here.