Monday Mentors with Dallas Family Lawyer and Retired Judge Marilea Lewis

Judge Marilea Lewis joins us on today's show! Judge Lewis served on the Dallas bench for 25 years, and is now a partner at the family law boutique Duffee + Eitzen. Judge Lewis talks about the importance of preparation, how to impress a judge, and finding the right side of the confidence/arrogance line.

Her firm/practice

• Board certified in family law (for 25 years)
• Small boutique firm almost completely family law; the firm also does a little school law
• Practices with her son Hunter Lewis
• During the pandemic many people have spent more time together than usual, which hasn't always gone well
• Waiting to see what the legislative changes are and the impact of the changes to the discovery rules
  • In the past, 194 disclosures and accompanying documents might have taken 60-90 days, but now having to do it within 30 days of the answer being filed is significant
• Judges have adapted so easily to Zoom, which has been a big assist to the docketing system
• In-person hearings are supposed to start soon, and in-person jury trials could begin again as early as July (though criminal cases will happen first)
  • Tarrant and Denton are a little ahead of that pace
• Looking ahead, some judges are going to handle prove ups and short motions will continue to be done by Zoom
• She has learned how to marshal the evidence and managed her time better

Advice for lawyers in practice

• Preparation is key
  • she sees attorneys who aren't as prepared as they could be
  • sometimes that can be a financial issue, but there is still a level of prep required before heading into the courtroom
  • facts thoroughly fleshed out
• The practice area and the law is always changing, so important to be aware of that
• Need to be familiar with the current case law
  • If you argue something that has been reversed or refined, it doesn't impress anyone
• Don't make frivolous arguments; make your best argument and then stop; if you have nothing to say then sit down!
  • Please don't argue with the court...."with all due respect your honor..."
  • Don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!
• Important to get the court to rule. From there you can take steps as the attorney to mitigate, appeal, etc.
• The best way to build a client base is through word of mouth (i.e. satisfied clients who refer you to someone else)
  • manage client expectations
  • advise client well
  • also getting involved in community and organizations and invest your time
  • When you are doing good work for clients you are doing business development

Advice for lawyers who are lateraling

• Demonstrate people skills in your resume/cover letter; what have you been involved with?
• Strong academics are great, but that's a very small percentage of people. So she wants to see someone who shows a commit to the area of practice, and learning that practice
• She has seen strong letters from 5+ year attorneys who haven't practiced family law but communicate a clear change in direction
• Family law is not an area most lawyers want to go in, so it is important to show that interest/desire. Great story from years ago about a firm partner who wanted to hire her into the firm to start their family law practice because she was a woman.
• Be on time for a job interview!
• Don't come into a full-time position interview wanting to work 20-30 hours.
  • It's okay to ask about policies in a general sense and expectations the firm has of their associates.
• Be prepared to answer questions about why you should be a candidate for consideration.
• Giving an indication that you might not stay very long is a red flag, and it also becomes apparent in the work product (leaving every day at 5:30 on the clock; don't volunteer to help out on a project; they are marking time; don't get involved in making decisions and contributing)

Final thoughts/words

• There is a fine line between projecting confidence and being arrogant. Be on the side of confidence! Ask someone you trust to tell you the truth.
• Everybody has something to offer; focus on your strength.

Rapid Fire Questions

• Name one trait/characteristic you most want to see in an associate: honesty
• What habit has been key to your success: tenacity
• Favorite app/productivity tool: Zoom
• The first item you would list on the interest section of your resume: Family and Dancing
• Favorite legal movie: To Kill A Mockingbird / Movie Verdicts episode

Thanks again to Judge Marilea Lewis for coming on the show!