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Posts in the ‘Outside the Courtroom’ category

Competition, Mud, and Speed on Two Wheels

Posted on January 18th, 2012 by The Firm

Congratulations to GHAR’s own Elizabeth Heller, who took second place in the UCI Master’s World Championships this past Sunday in Louisville, KY, and third place in the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships, held in Verona, WI, earlier this month.

Cyclo-cross isn’t a typical bike race. It’s a fast course on pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike while navigating the obstructions and remount. And since races are usually held during the Fall and Winter, rain, wind, snow – and mud – is common. Competitors often change bicycles mid-race so mud can continually be power-washed washed off in the pit area. Falls are common in cyclo-cross, and so are broken bones.

“It was four inches of frozen, muddy ruts, but it was a great course,” Heller said of the 1.5-mile, 50 minute race on Jan. 14. “I hope to win next year.”

Elizabeth began competing in triathlons after graduating from Beloit College in 1980. A natural-born competitor, she decided to switch to cycling, and has continued to pursue it as a passion over the years.

She started with triathlons, but soon put all her training toward cycling, which served her well. She was the Missouri State Road Race Champion 10 years in a row (1988-1996) and the Missouri State Mountain Bike Champion for five consecutive years (1990-1995). She is also a five-time Missouri State Criterium Champion, five-time Missouri State 40-K Time Trial Champion and has four U.S.C.F. National Masters Championship titles to her name (1989 and 1990). In 1992, she and a blind male partner won silver medals in the Paralympics Tandem Road Race in Barcelona, Spain.

After joining Goldenberg Heller Antognoli & Rowland in 1991, she continued to cycle competitively in the 1990s. In 1999 she was named Cyclist of the Decade by the St. Louis Cycling Club. Then, after a 15 year break, she returned to competitive racing in the form of cyclo-cross.

“It’s no walk in the park. When you’re 54 you’re as old as your mother used to be. I think I’m crazy, but then I see others out here who are just as crazy as I am,” Elizabeth says. “I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.”

8 tips for undergrads planning on law school

Posted on August 3rd, 2011 by Kevin Green

Want to listen to a podcast of this blog? Click the link at the bottom of the post.

1. Plan your studies.
Many students go to college unsure of what career they want, however, there are multiple studies that lend themselves well to a future in law school. Advertising and/or marketing courses can lead to an interest in the business side of law; philosophy courses can develop analytical thinking; and political science classes can provide great insight into current events. Law requires an analytical side, a writing side and a persuasive side – all skills that can be developed in college.

2. Join your Mock Trial team.
Your school’s mock trial team is a great place to get a feel for law, hone your skills and decide if being a lawyer is the right future for you.

3. Understand the difference between “TV law” and reality.
Hooked on Law and Order? There’s much more “behind-the-scenes” work that a lawyer does – and every case doesn’t fit nicely into 60 minutes. The process is more intensive, and takes much, much longer in real life.

4. Know yourself and what you want.
Once you decide you want to be a lawyer, focus on what you want to do – how you want to practice law as a whole and which practice area you want to get into. Use your undergrad time to try new things out – study abroad, take new classes, or get work experience. Working for a law firm during college is a great way to really learn what lawyers do. As a file clerk, you’ll run papers between the firm and the courthouse – it may not be intensive work, but you’ll be around lawyers all day. You’ll also get introduced to the court system itself, and experience its administrative side.

5. Use social media to advance your law career.
But use it wisely. Potential employers as well as potential law schools can use it to research you, too. On the plus side, it can be a tool to help you reach out to people involved in law: an admissions person, a current student, an HR contact, etc.

6. Know what to do after undergrad graduation.
There’s a lot of paperwork and a lot of research to prepare for when applying to law schools. Look at the programs the law schools’ offer, the reputation of the school, and the individual programs.

7. Prepare, practice & perform the LSATs.
They’re basically the entrance exam for law school. In terms of preparing, the questions that the LSAT asks aren’t specifically about being an attorney. The LSAT is a test about whether or not you can take the LSAT. You must learn what the LSAT is asking you to do, practice and then perform.

So what is the LSAT asking you to do?
There are three sections: logical reasoning, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension. It’s a test in learning something you’re completely unfamiliar with and being able to perform. Which is what it’s like to practice law. When a person comes to the firm with a problem, a lawyer has to learn as much about that specific problem, prepare a case and then perform. Are you willing to take the time, learn and prepare?

8. In doubt? Reach out.
If you’re an undergrad who wants more information about law school, the best resource is a lawyer. Most lawyers like to help out people who want to do what they are doing. Just remember that you’re reaching out to a professional. It should be a professional email or professional phone call. Everyone has to eat, so maybe try to schedule a morning coffee or a quick lunch.

Kevin Green is an associate in the Business and Commercial Law department. Contact him with questions.

Listen to a podcast of this interview with Kevin Green here:

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