Attorney finds right fit in Iola

At 29, Daniel Schowengerdt already brings a wealth of experience to his new position as an attorney at Johnson Law Office in Iola.
Schowengerdt joined the law firm July 1.
Joining Robert Johnson’s law firm met a number of criteria for his career, Schowengerdt said.
Working in general practice, in particular with family and criminal law, “allows me to help a lot of people facing a wide range of issues,” he said.
Secondly, moving to Iola brings Schowengerdt and his family closer to his native Kansas City.
And just as importantly, “we love the town. Everybody was friendly and inviting as soon as we arrived.”
Schowengerdt, his wife, Nicole, and their two children, Noah and Bella, plan to become active members in the community.
Schowengerdt’s career started while he was in law school in Virginia Beach, Va., where he worked with the American Center For Law and Justice. There, one of his duties was to write legal briefs for the U.S. Supreme Court.
“It was a lot of boring stuff,” he said with a laugh. “Well, it was exciting for me, anyway.”
After law school, he returned to Kansas City long enough to pass the Kansas Bar Examination before joining a law firm in Liberal.
There, his path crossed several times with Johnson, who also practiced in Liberal before moving to Iola.
“We knew a lot of the same people,” Schowengerdt said. “It just seemed like the right fit.”
Johnson agreed.
“We’re excited,” Johnson said. “It’s exciting any time you can get somebody young with a family to move into town, and he was highly recommended.”
In his spare time, Schowengerdt enjoys spending time with his family. They also plan on becoming active in their church and travel.
As an aside, Nicole Schowengerdt gained a bit of fame herself in March when she won the International Pancake Day race in Liberal, in which contestants must race about 400 yards while flipping pancakes in a skillet along their route. Nicole’s time also was best among a similar group of competitors from Olney, England.