A cornerstone of a La Follette graduate education is the opportunity for students to partner with real-world organizations to tackle real-world policy problems. Much more than academic exercises, these client-based projects make an impact far beyond the classroom, in some cases even years after students graduate.
Case in point, two years after completing their cost-benefit analysis project at La Follette, Mary Baumgartner (MPA ‘24) and Johanna Schmidt (MPA ’24) presented their team’s cutting-edge research on driver’s license suspension policy to municipal court officials from across Wisconsin.
Dane County Judge Todd Meurer, who previously oversaw judicial education in Wisconsin, reached out after reading their team’s report for Legal Action of Wisconsin that evaluated the economic impacts of eliminating Wisconsin’s policy of suspending driver’s licenses for failure to pay legal financial obligations, such as traffic forfeitures.
“It was really exciting that the project still has legs,” Schmidt said. “We put a lot of time and thought into this analysis, and being able to share it in a real-world setting was incredibly impactful.”
Judge Meurer expressed interest in elevating the findings within judicial training spaces, and invited the research team, which also included Minjung Jun and Qinqin Liu, to present its research at the Wisconsin Municipal Court Clerks Seminar this October. The seminar is an annual statewide conference focused on training and professional development for municipal court officials.
The invitation reflected growing interest among court officials in evidence-based alternatives to license suspension as a tool for enforcing unpaid legal financial obligations. As municipalities across Wisconsin continue to rely on suspensions for nonpayment, this cost-benefit analysis offered insight into how current practices affect both court operations and affected drivers, setting the stage for deeper discussion about the policy’s broader economic and social impact.
Baumgartner and Schmidt’s team found that Wisconsin’s license suspension policy disproportionately impacts low-income drivers and can trap individuals in financial hardship. Their analysis showed that replacing suspensions for nonpayment with a Department of Revenue debt collection program would generate more than $200 million in annual net benefits statewide.
“It was definitely an interesting experience,” Schmidt said. “Municipal court clerks and judges are often the ones who actually use suspensions for failure to pay forfeitures, and because municipal courts regularly use license suspensions for nonpayment, their findings sparked thoughtful debate among court clerks about enforcement and alternatives, highlighting the real-world implications of the research.”
The project helped Schmidt land her dream career in transportation policy, as she now works for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. As a transportation policy analyst, she researches policy issues, develops recommendations, and communicates findings to decision-makers. “Even though I don’t do cost-benefit analysis in my job now, having that background—working for a client, managing a project, and communicating research findings—has been incredibly valuable,” she said.
Their continued engagement demonstrates how La Follette students are equipped with the analytical tools and practical experience needed to inform policy debates long after graduation.
Baumgartner and Schmidt’s presentation also highlights the enduring impact of applied research and the school’s commitment to preparing students to contribute thoughtfully to public policy discussions at the local and state level.
– Story by Outreach Assistant Morgan Ramsey