Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Ice Miller LLP
Georgetown University Law Center, 2003
Why did you decide to enter the legal profession?
I like to argue, I like to win, and I like helping people. Being a litigator is a challenging and incredibly rewarding way to use our skills and training to help clients resolve disputes impacting their businesses and/or their lives.
Who is someone who has inspired you in your career?
Michael Wukmer, my mentor and partner at Ice Miller. Mike embodies two values that matter most in law firms: client service and teamwork. Early in my career, Mike showed me how rewarding and fulfilling the practice of law can be when you focus relentlessly on helping clients solve their legal problems and assisting everyone on our team to achieve their own, personal goals.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Bring us your stories.” This was a quote from a speech by Judge Sarah Evans Barker that always stuck with me. Judges are people too, and we best serve our clients when we articulate why the judge should rule for them as a matter of law and why the judge should feel very comfortable ruling for them as a matter of fact.
What makes a good lawyer/judge?
A good lawyer has to have the intellectual curiosity, the determination, and the humility to constantly ask “what have I not thought of yet?” and “what is the other side going to raise tomorrow.” Our clients rightly expect us to be their guides through an exhausting and often unfamiliar process that may threaten their very livelihood. Analysis, advocacy, and counseling never stop.
What is something you wish people knew about lawyers?
Litigators are both advocates and counselors. My job is tell the other side, to tell the judge, the jury why you’re right and the other side is wrong. My job is also to be honest with you, to tell you both the strengths and the weaknesses of your case, and to help you find the best resolution whether through compromise and successful negotiation, or through trial and verdict.
Tell us about a “lesson learned” moment you’ve had in your career.
Show, don’t tell (and definitely don’t yell). Early in my career, we discovered evidence that seemed to indicate a plaintiff was being bribed by his co-plaintiffs and their counsel. No matter how often we screamed about it in discovery briefs, it seemed to resonate most at trial when the judge saw and heard all the evidence first-hand and ultimately concluded the individual was essentially a paid plaintiff. Telling the judge or jury what conclusion you’ve reached is nowhere nearly as powerful as showing them all the evidence and allowing them to reach that conclusion themselves.
Tell us something surprising about you.
My law school nickname was Philly George and, to this day, I have a Phillies game on my TV at home most nights from April until October. Go Birds!
If you hadn’t pursued a legal career, what would you be doing?
Political speechwriter or full-time baseball coach.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.