Prior to attending law school, Mr. Stopper worked as a senior laboratory technician for two of the largest geotechnical engineering firms in Kentucky, as well as a Senior Problem Solver and Ambassador for Amazon.com. He began working for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy after earning his juris doctorate as a law clerk before transitioning to becoming an attorney after passing the bar exam.
As an attorney for the Department of Public Advocacy he gained valuable experience and represented clients in several different courts and jurisdictions. He worked in Mercer and Boyle County Family Courts, and represented clients facing criminal contempt charges. He also handled the Lincoln County docket for the agency and developed a robust motion practice in criminal cases.
Mr. Stopper believes that the American Justice System is heavily weighted against Defendants and that many of the legal protections which once safeguarded the citizens have been turned into mere boxes to be checked off on the way towards convictions and plea agreements that are not favorable to those charged with crimes. In the face of the full might of the government, all too often individuals will take the quick road out instead of fighting back against a process and system that all too often has failed them.
Mr. Stopper is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Social Studies Education with a focus on Medieval History and a minor in Anthropology. While attending the University of Kentucky, Mr. Stopper continued to work as a Senior Problem Solver for Amazon, helping his team through 3 years of record-breaking Christmas Seasons. He completed his in-school training for his degree at Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky.
Mr. Stopper earned his Juris Doctor from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. He was a strong advocate for people facing what seemed like overwhelming opposition while in school. He performed volunteer work for the Louisville-Metro Human Relations Commission in investigating housing discrimination claims, the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy’s Appellate Branch, the Attorney General’s Office Division of Senior Protection attempting to prosecute individuals and organizations perpetuating scams against senior citizens, and was an intern at the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office. He was a member of the Parents Attending Law School student organization as well as acting as a student teacher for the Central High Partnership, where law school students teach classes in the “Law and Government” magnet program at Central High School in Louisville, Kentucky.
In 2018, Mr. Stopper and the Kentucky Department for Public Advocacy parted ways and he worked out of Frankfort, Kentucky to help a friend whose law firm was short staffed due to some medical ailments. He is happy to once again be returning to the practice of criminal law; which has been his passion for a few years.