How have your life experiences as a woman guided your decision to pursue a career in the legal field?  Did any women positively impact your decision?

It’s the two women with whom I’m the most closely tied that impacted my decision to be an attorney.  If it weren’t for them, I would not have had the resolve to go outside my comfort zone to pursue a career that I never thought I was suited for.  Growing up I was known to be quiet, as I preferred to observe over speaking, which was sometimes misinterpreted as being shy.  As a trial attorney, you are required to speak/argue in court regularly.  It’s funny how life never turns out the way you expect it to.

What female mentors have inspired or influenced you and in what ways?

I can think of two prior supervising attorneys, one at Tyson & Mendes.  Both are truly great attorneys and were wonderful mentors.  They taught me the skills needed to become a better attorney.  I strive to be a fraction of how good they are, as their work product is just exceptional.

Do you think it is important for women in this industry to prioritize supporting other women? How do you show your support for other women?

Yes, I am always available to assist with training new female attorneys or giving them templates or tips that I learned throughout the years, or the hard way.  This field is competitive, so I know how difficult it can be sometimes.

Do you have any advice for women just starting out in their legal careers?

You can always catch more flies with honey than vinegar, and always take the high road.  Your opposing counsel may be your future colleague or employer.

Tell us about your law practice at Tyson & Mendes.

I truly care about the cases that I work on at Tyson & Mendes, and now that I’ve had the opportunity to work on them with one of the most seasoned trial attorneys at the firm, I am excited to see how things progress.

What drew you to Tyson & Mendes?

Tyson & Mendes is a leader in the insurance defense industry not only because of the seminal case of Howell v. Hamilton Meats, but because of the firm’s ability to find new and innovative ways to tackle nuclear verdicts®, i.e. the Nuclear Verdicts® Defense Institute and Bob Tyson’s Nuclear Verdicts: Defending Justice For All.

What is a fun fact about you that most people do not know?

I took four years of German in high school and I wish I could recall more than, “Verzeihung, Hallo Sprichst du Englisch?” On the upside, it came in handy while watching “Die Hard.”

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