The new Assistant Greene County Attorney brings with her a lot of legal background.

Laura Snider grew up in Topeka, Kansas and received her undergraduate degree from Washburn University. She then graduated from Drake University Law School in 2009. Snider spent one year working in the Webster County Attorney’s office before working as a public defender in Fort Dodge. She then worked for six years in the Story County Public Defender’s office before leaving to do private practice back in Fort Dodge.

She says she was ready to make the change to be a prosecutor again, and when Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn mentioned the job opening, she decided to apply for it. Snider talks about having prior experience both as a prosecutor and as a public defender, and how that can help her be a better prosecutor for the county.

“It’s a different way of thinking. So like as a defense attorney you think about, ‘Where are the holes in this case?’ and ‘How can I exploit those and make those bigger?’ And as a prosecutor, you kind of want to resolve those holes. As a second time around prosecuting I think it’s actually better having a defense background because I can predict what they’re (the defense) going to point out at and I can address those issues before we even get into court.”

Snider started part-time in the county attorney’s office on May 1st. She handles all juvenile and magistrate court cases. She is still doing private practice in family law in Fort Dodge. She is married and lives in West Des Moines with her husband and their 11-month-old and two school-aged children.