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Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP
Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 1992
Why did you decide to enter the legal profession?
I was in college at DePauw trying to decide between pursuing an MBA at the University of Chicago and going to law school. My faculty adviser told me that a legal education was so versatile, would teach thinking and analytical skills, and that I would open up so many more doors of opportunity with a law degree.
Who is someone who has inspired you in your career?
Richmond lawyer Gayle Gardner inspired me to look into a legal career. Dentons (Bingham Summers) partner Dave Tittle taught me how to be thoroughly curious about studying and learning “the law,” and partners Dave Campbell and Mike Hartman taught me how to take the law and transform it into storytelling practicalities in a courtroom. Outside of the legal profession, my Dad was a doctor, but he always loved debating and bantering about the issues of the day.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t say, “I have to go to work.” Always say instead, “I get to go to work.” Live life with an attitude of gratitude, and count your blessings—literally, out loud, every day. This from my oncology nurse (Diana Bayes) after a tough round of chemo in 2011.
What makes a good lawyer/judge?
Someone who is curious and asks lots of questions about the law and about the facts, someone who can see both a spectrum of solutions to a problem but also has the fortitude and confidence to select a path through the forest, and someone who has experience (i.e., through trial and error) to know which of those paths are the best paths to take.
What is something you wish people knew about lawyers?
We’re an incredibly civic-minded bunch, driven to help those in our communities.
Tell us about a “lesson learned” moment you’ve had in your career.
Don’t shy away from or try to hide your mistakes. I was two weeks into my job as an associate at the firm (then Bingham Summers Welsh and Spilman) when I was asked to draft up a complaint in a breach of contract case and file it. That evening, I was mortified when I realized I had forgotten to attach the contract to the complaint—something mandated by the trial rules. Monday morning, I walked into the partner’s office and confessed my error. The partner (Robin Babbitt) smiled, said no problem, quickly dictated a motion to amend the complaint, and sent me on my way, telling me that it is always better to own up to a mistake because 95% of the time it can be fixed.
Tell us something surprising about you.
I was a construction worker for most of my summers in college, working on the Richmond Street Department.
If you hadn’t pursued a legal career, what would you be doing?
I probably would have pursued my MBA and gone into investment banking or private equity. In my heart, though, I have always loved camping, fishing and being outdoors, and at one time dreamed of making nature documentaries.
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