Self-proclaimed “farm kid,” Leah (Miller) Koch ’15, ’18 JD/MA has traveled a career path from law clerk to city attorney to in-house counsel at Land O’Lakes. Integrating Catholic Studies into her legal education as a JD/MA student and Murphy Scholar helped her reach her goals of being more human, more Christ-centered, and a better thinker.
Q: Describe your role at Land O’Lakes.
A: Land O’Lakes is a farmer-owned cooperative, owned by dairy member-owners and ag-retail owners. Practically, that means a lot of variety. I can negotiate a contract for a replacement piece of manufacturing equipment one day, and the next I’ll be discussing innovative technology solutions. Supporting the farm-to-fork food system is a great role for this farm kid!
Q: Why did you choose to participate in the Murphy Scholars program in addition to your JD/MA?
A: As an undergrad, I embraced all that Catholic Studies had to offer: participating in Leadership Interns, living on the Catholic Women’s Floor, going to Rome, and marrying someone from the Catholic Studies men’s house. So, when I had the opportunity to go to St. Thomas Law, there was no question that I would also do the Catholic Studies master’s degree program.
I knew there would be sacrifice, but I had no doubts about two things: First, the expansion of my mind; and second, by integrating Catholic Studies into my legal education, Sitzmann Hall provided a portal back to my goals of being more human and more Christ-focused.
The joint degree program also allowed me to make my legal education my own. Some days were intense, such as attending a patent law lecture about infringement in the morning and reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the evening. This folding of intellectual challenges made me a better thinker and allowed me to embrace the interdisciplinary job I get to do today.
The Murphy Institute also has a validating presence at the law school. Their Murphy Scholars fellowship proved to be a natural fit as I walked with other students who were peers and mentors.
Q: How has your interdisciplinary education impacted your work as a corporate attorney?
A: Throughout my legal career, I have benefited from the tangible skills – textual reading, writing, and expressing difficult or tangled thoughts – and intangible skills, such as learning and unfolding large concepts like dignity, ordered liberty, pluralism, religious liberty, and free will. This experience gave me the gift of an intellectual anchor in Truth Himself.
The program impacts and enriches my parish life, too. At St. Joseph Catholic Church in West St. Paul, where the Catholic Studies extended universe is felt, I can bring up a gem from Dr. Kidd’s Augustine’s Confessions class during a parish women’s retreat, lead a book club on Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Father Jacques Philippe, and be present and worship well. These are the fruits of my time at St. Thomas.
Q: Was there a specific class that was especially formative for you?
A: If I had to pick one, it might be the eye-opening Search for Happiness course I took with Dr. Billy Junker during my freshman year.
This story is featured in the summer 2026 issue of Lumen.
