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Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Boston University School of Law, 2017
Why did you decide to enter the legal profession?
I had a choice of being a psychology researcher or a paralegal at the US Attorney’s Office at the District of Massachusetts courthouse, and chose to work in the office with windows. Once I entered the courtroom and saw the attorneys I worked for in action, I was hooked. I saw people who loved their jobs, loved the challenge that comes with grappling over legal issues and building a case, and loved their colleagues. It felt like being back in school again, constantly learning. Once I was in that environment, I knew that law was what I wanted to do with my career.
If you hadn’t pursued a legal career, what would you be doing?
Psychologist. I majored in psychology in undergrad and really love studying people. Luckily, I still get to do that in a different way now.
Who is someone who has inspired you in your career?
When I was a paralegal, I worked for a kick-butt prosecutor named Amy Burkhart. I went to trial with her about two months into my job and learned so much from her over the course of my paralegal and law school career. We have a number of incredible lawyers in my practice group who also wear their mom hats so well. Andrea Pierson is one of my mentors at the firm and is as incredible a trial attorney as they come. I aspire to live a life where family and the work we do can be in harmony, and the women in my practice group and the firm as a whole show me it is possible to live a full life and be a great attorney.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
You belong in every room you walk into. Don’t shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Your voice matters, so use it.
What is something you wish people knew about lawyers?
Being a lawyer is not like people see on TV, although I would love to see a dramatic courtroom scene in real life one day.
Tell us about a “lesson learned” moment you’ve had in your career.
Communication is so important, not only with a client but also with the people you work with. There was a time in my first year practicing in Boston where a partner sent a draft summary judgment motion to my team really late at night/early in the morning telling us to “take it from there,” and in my naivety, I jumped in right away and passed it back to the team early the next morning. He called me later and told me that his intent was not for anyone to work in the middle of the night on the brief, but instead to pick it up the next day once we were in the office. Lesson learned!
Tell us something surprising about you.
In a past life, I ran 100-meter hurdles and once held the 100-meter hurdle record in Oregon. I still like to run from time to time, but no more jumping over immobile objects.
What makes a good lawyer/judge?
A good lawyer is like a good psychologist. You need to be a good listener, discerning, empathic, and understanding of people’s motivations and biases.
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