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Barrett McNagny LLP
Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 2014
Why did you decide to enter the legal profession?
Years ago, I claimed to start down this path because, having an accountant/small business owner for a father, I loved everything about business operations except the numbers. As I learned more about transactional practice, I was drawn to the variety of problems our clients need solved and the creativity necessary to find those solutions.
Who is someone who has inspired you in your career?
I am fortunate to have a number of excellent mentors. One of my partners, John Barce, has been a mentor to me (professionally and personally) since the day I started at Barrett McNagny. He embodies what it means to be a servant leader.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
I can still hear a political science professor’s voice begging us undergraduates to “make excellence your criterion,” not just as students but as people. Why aim for passing or satisfactory when each of us has the potential to be excellent? I have tried to internalize that mantra over the years and wake up every day with the intent to do my best in all things.
What makes a good lawyer/judge?
A good lawyer understands that the trust and responsibility given to us by our clients is not something we are entitled to but a privilege that should be treated with the utmost respect. Clients are not projects but representatives of the people and families impacted by the problems for which they are seeking counsel. A good lawyer knows that improvement is a necessity.
What is something you wish people knew about lawyers?
The courtroom is quite possibly the last place the vast majority of lawyers want to be or should be. There is more variety in this profession than is shown on TV.
Tell us about a “lesson learned” moment you’ve had in your career.
The biggest lesson learned in my career is the buildup of too many moments saying “yes” to work or other commitments when many of those moments would have been best served saying “no.” We only have one cup to fill in this life and if we say yes to everything, sooner rather than later it overflows.
Tell us something surprising about you.
I have escaped from Alcatraz.
If you hadn’t pursued a legal career, what would you be doing?
I imagine I would have sought some form of career in basketball. Any free time I find is tied to watching, playing or coaching basketball. The sport has given me so much over my life, and I enjoy seeing the same love for the game in the next generation.
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