Volume 20, Number 5 July/August 2003
GP MENTOR
Voices of Experience
Martha J. Church
(formerly
Kuckleburg)
Too many mentors? That's an oxymoron for law students and new lawyers setting up practice. In the coming months, GP Mentor will give you the benefit of experienced voices from general practitioners, solos, and small firm members who'll be able to tell you what they know now that they didn't know then.
What is your background, and what inspired you to
become a lawyer?
My undergraduate degree is in history and, as was customary for
females in those days, I began teaching when I finished college.
Three years of teaching taught me that I did not want to make it
a lifetime career. At the same time, my then-husband was taking a
psychology course in testing, and I was often a guinea pig. On a
vocational preference test I scored highest as a chemist, naval
officer, and attorney. The first two were out of the question,
but those test results did make me think about going to law
school, especially since Emory University was just up the street.
The next year I was in law school, spending much of my time
wondering if I had really lost my mind. However, each succeeding
quarter my grades improved; it all began to make sense. I was
graduated in 1975 with a J.D. and an LL.M. in taxation.
What influenced your decision to pursue a general
practice/solo/small firm career?
Just after I finished Emory, we moved to Cumming, Georgia, a town
of maybe 3,000. General, small firm practice was what one did in
Cumming, where the largest firm at the time had five lawyers. No
one really specialized, and I took most anything that came in the
door if there were collectible fees involved. I did everything
from debtor bankruptcy to DUIs to domestic to business
transactions to felony cases.
What did you find hardest about setting up as a general
practice/solo/small firm lawyer, and where did your biggest help
come from?
Everything was hardest. Remember, for five years I had been a
schoolteacher (i.e., a government worker), and I knew absolutely
nothing about setting up a business. Fortunately, one of the
lawyers in Cumming was willing to take me in on a space-sharing
basis, which eased the way. Before that, I tried to find a job
with a paycheck, so I interviewed with other lawyers in town. I
did not get a job and was actually told by one older guy that he
didn't believe women should be practicing law but should be home
with their children.
What are the biggest changes in law practice you have observed
through the years?
Well, I doubt that any lawyer today would tell a female she
shouldn't be practicing law. On the other hand, the civility
seems to have dissipated to the point where it has about
disappeared-I'm not sure if this is a function of time or the
difference between practicing in small town versus a large city.
Today, everything MUST be in writing. Also, there is simply no
time. Once was, you could get a letter from opposing counsel,
consult your client, and then respond-and you were done with that
matter for at least a week. Now with fax and e-mail, you are done
with that matter for maybe an hour if you are lucky.
What early lawyer experiences have helped you in your
career?
Finding out that I could do things that scared me to death-and
not die.
Whom do you most admire?
Queen Elizabeth I.
What was the best professional advice you ever
received?
Pigs get fat-hogs get slaughtered. Unfortunately, the attorney
who first told me that forgot it himself and has since been
disbarred.
What was the worst professional advice you ever
received?
To always behave like a lady.
Who or what got you started with ABA and/or GP Section
involvement?
Allen Tannenbaum, with whom I practiced for several years, came
bounding into my office one afternoon in September 1991 and asked
if I'd take his place on the Publications Board during its
October meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, at The Phoenician. He had
to leave the board because he had just been elected Section
Secretary. That sounded like a great deal to me-and the rest is
history.
What can the ABA and/or GP Section do to be a good home
to young lawyers?
Keep in mind that younger lawyers have a notion of balance in
life and are not committed to the 2,200 billable hour year-and
encourage that way of thinking. Continue the strong emphasis on
cutting-edge technology, keep fun in Section meetings, and cut
the cost of the social functions.
What personality trait has served you best through the
years?
Two actually: being a good listener and being naive.
What area of general practice/solo/small firm practice
would you like to see changed?
More time: time to learn how to practice law, time to practice
law, and some time to enjoy life after law.
What is the one thing you cannot stand regarding the
practice of law?
The uncertainty of it all.
What advice would you give new lawyers?
-Pay attention to your gut.
-Some money is not worth earning.
-You never learn anything with your mouth open.
-Don't be the third lawyer in a case.
-Don't ever predict case outcomes to clients.
-A closed mouth gathers no foot.
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