On Principle

The freedom to choose battles that need to be fought.

Law firms shouldn’t be defined by one type of case or one view of the world. Life and law are too complicated for that. Experience teaches that no one has a monopoly on the truth, that no side is all good or all evil. Everything has shades of grey.

What we share as attorneys is not rigid agreement on every issue, but a belief that the law can have a positive impact on individuals and the world.

The goal is to build a practice where skills in the courtroom and a commitment to the community are valued equally. Where service to others is not a “nice to have,” but part of the job description.

We need the freedom to pursue challenges that excite us personally as well as professionally. For some, it’s complex cases other attorneys don’t know what to do with. For others, it’s matters that move us on a human level — an injustice that compels us to step in and act.

“Global perspectives guard justice from all sides.”

Such cases sometimes align us with a giant company, other times with an aggrieved individual. We look at each case with a fresh view of the facts, law, and procedural opportunities.  Justice must be guarded from all sides.

As attorneys, we commit to those cases where we can be all in. Will the work make the air or water cleaner? Allow a great innovation to flourish? Foster a more just society? Protect other patients from harm? What matters is not the political lens but the principles involved.

A worthwhile life is one spent in service of the common good. That pursuit is bigger than any single case, client, or outlook.