How a $1.25 Billion Case led Eric Sanchez to Public Policy
Not everyone has the opportunity to stand in the White House and watch President Barack Obama sign a bill on which they’ve worked for more than six years. For Vice President of the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin and former Marine Eric Sanchez, such a moment inspired him to get more involved in public policy.
When all was said and done, Sanchez’s firm won $1.25 billion for more than 18,000 black farmers who had been discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During his time on the case, Sanchez met with numerous staffers and politicians, and learned a lot about granular policy issues and legislation. The case sowed the seeds for him to return to school for his Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA).
A tireless worker, Sanchez decided on Northwestern University School of Professional Studies because of the challenging online coursework and reputation for excellence, not to mention it would accommodate his hectic professional schedule. He also knew that the class structure would hold him accountable.
“One of the great things about online courses is that you have to log on and engage regularly,” said Sanchez. “In the classroom, you don’t necessarily have to communicate, but with distance learning sitting back is not an option. You must engage with your colleagues and the professor.”
While he was a student, Sanchez continued putting in 12-hour workdays, then came home and dedicated two to three additional hours to studying and participating in class discussions, all while making as much time as possible for his family. Graduating in 2014, Sanchez finished his master’s degree in two years, and though he had to make sacrifices to stay on top of everything, he was happy to find in the end that he set a positive example for his children.
“Now, if you speak with my kids, they tell you that they were impressed and motivated by my dedication,” said Sanchez. “To see me sometimes come home tired and exasperated, but that I’d still go into my office and study—that was inspiring to them.”
In his classes, Sanchez was most impressed with the professional background of the faculty. One professor, Dr. William Lester, taught Sanchez’s class while he was on a Fulbright Scholarship concurrently teaching classes in Russia. Additionally, Sanchez was pleasantly surprised to find the program strengthened his writing abilities.
“Probably the greatest unforeseen positive of the program was that my writing really evolved and developed, even though I thought I was a strong writer before. I’ve had colleagues compliment me favorably about it.”
Today, Sanchez’s work at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin is multifaceted, and he essentially serves in three different senior roles. Besides being the VP, he oversees the firm’s political involvement, software development, and consulting services. In this latter role, as a consultant, Sanchez has found the Northwestern name carries a lot of weight. He joked, “When you have a degree from Northwestern and meet a potential client on day one, no one wonders if you know what you’re doing.”