2024 Difference Maker: How Amanda Altman champions indigent defense and reentry programs

Amanda Altman has always been intrigued by criminal law. Growing up in Gillepsie, a rural town in Illinois, there was very little crime. As a young girl, she dreamed of joining the FBI, becoming the next Clarice Starling, the fictional agent from Silence of the Lambs. As she grew, her favorite books were “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “Native Son,” and “In Cold Blood.” It was the psychology, and discovering the motivation behind the crimes, that drew her in. She just didn’t want to carry a gun.

After high school, Altman attended the University of Illinois, graduating in three years with a degree in Psychology. By this time, becoming an FBI agent was off the table but she knew graduate school was in her future. Still very interested in law, Altman applied to the night program at St. Louis University. Between school, waiting tables and working at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, where she assisted in drafting divorce petitions, Altman’s schedule was full. But her love of the courtroom was just ramping up.

“I got to watch a lot of trials while going to school in St. Louis and I fell in love with the courtroom experience,” says Altman, who was initially afraid of getting in front of a jury. “You can prepare as much as you want, but there is always a curveball that keeps you on your toes.”

Altman considered real estate law but was bored with the transactional work. Her passion was for people. Altman wanted to provide representation and legal counsel to those who could not afford it. After graduation, she applied to the Missouri State Public Defender’s office, but the economy was in a recession. Public Defender jobs were hard to get, even though they didn’t pay well. After six months, she was offered a position in Jackson, Missouri.

For the next eight years, Altman tried many cases and represented thousands of people. She gained courtroom experience and met clients from every walk of life. She married her husband, Corey, and started having children. In 2016, Altman went into private practice for juvenile law, family law, federal criminal defense, as well as Missouri and Illinois criminal defense.

“My practice thrived,” says Altman. “But my heart is in indigent defense.”

Altman believes that everyone deserves adequate and educated representation no matter what crime they have committed. As a defense attorney, she listens and offers support. Some may say she represents “the bad guy,” but Altman doesn’t see it that way.

In 2021, when a position opened for assistant federal defender, Altman moved back to public service work. A year later, she stepped into her current role as supervising attorney. Most of her time is spent reading police reports, conducting research and talking to clients who are spread out across multiple counties. She also acts as a liaison between the judges and attorneys in this area.

Crimes through the federal system are often due to drugs and guns, but according to Altman, could include anything over the internet, like child pornography, or tampering with mail. The sentences for federal crimes are dictated by the Guidelines Manual, which looks at criminal history and level of offense, leaving little room for negotiation. Much of her work as a defense attorney is in mitigation.

“Hearing [client’s] stories, their backgrounds, how their lives are filled with trauma, poverty, and circumstances I can’t fathom…you grow to know them and appreciate who they are as humans. My job is to help the judge see them that way, too.”

For the past two years, Altman has been involved with the STAR (Supervision to Aid Reentry) program, which helps individuals reintegrate into society after they have served their sentence. She loves hearing success stories, getting phone calls about new jobs and seeing former clients be productive citizens after incarceration.

As with most working moms, Altman admits that work/life balance is often a struggle, but she does her best to give 100% attention to work while at work, and home while at home. Her family loves to travel and they are over halfway to their goal of visiting all 50 states. With three boys active in sports, band and Tae Kwon Do, most of her energy goes to them. However, she does exercise every morning and still loves to read.

As a defense attorney, Altman’s job is never done. There are reports to send and appeals to file. Her clients can always call because the phone line is free to the Bureau of Prison. But she chooses to focus on the good parts.

“I get to help people succeed and live a normal life. That’s rewarding. [People who have been incarcerated] can be productive citizens if we give them a chance. Being a criminal doesn’t mean you are a criminal for life.”