Cassandra Gay Sasso

After leaving NE, at various times I lived in CA, IL, NY, and CO. I recently returned to NE, and hope to love being back!! I taught high school English (3 years); practiced law as a trial lawyer in complex commercial litigation (about 35 years; Chicago, Sidley & Austin; and Denver, Sherman & Howard and Baker & Hostetler); taught law school (9 years, University of Denver School of Law; antitrust law and securities law); and taught college business law (2 years). I have traveled all over the U.S., and parts of Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Africa (both business and pleasure).

I raised my son Gabe mostly as a single mother. Although my work as a trial lawyer and on civic boards was very interesting and fulfilling, motherhood was my greatest joy and challenge. Gabe was an outstanding athlete in skiing, football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, tennis and golf. His team won CO's high school 5A basketball championship his senior year; he was named outstanding tournament player; and Woody Paige wrote an article about him in the Denver Post. He's 6'8" tall.

I did not attend LHS until my junior year, and was terrified when I started. I had grown up in Cleveland, OH, and then lived in Broken Bow, NE for a few years after my parents divorced. I felt out of place. My first day at LHS, both a Caucasian girl and an African American boy asked me whether I was white or black. Luckily, things got much better over time. I was never asked to a prom, but I made up for it, and "came into my own," in college.

I was able to attend college because I got a full ride Regents Scholarship. I was a finalist for Miss Rush Week, Homecoming Queen, Activities Queen and Ideal Nebraska Coed. I was tapped to be a member of Mortar Board (senior women's
honorary).

I was in graduate school at the University of California (Santa Barbara) when, "out of the blue," I decided my destiny was to go to law school. I took my Masters degree in English Literature and language in 1970, and started law school at Northwestern University (Chicago) in 1971.

At the time I started, I hadn't personally known a lawyer; was unaware that only 2% of the profession was female; and had no idea that 1971 was the first year that nearly all law schools lifted their 2% quota on the number of women they would admit. Nonetheless, I graduated a semester early, and went to work for Sidley & Austin (then the largest firm in Chicago) as its first female litigator in January 1974.
Over time, I have come to much appreciate my LHS and NE "experiences."

cassandra.sasso@hotmail.com