Matthew Spahr

 Matthew Spahr works for Dicker Dicker & Ruiz.  They are a small law firm that specializes in personal injury and real estate transactions.  There are currently 3 partners, 2 admins and himself.  Matthew is a 1^st year striving attorney who is learning the ropes and eager to represent his clients the in the best way.

Matthew went to Roosevelt College and was majoring in Advertising while he was working in the hospitality field.  As he was progressing in college, he often found he would question the legal actions in Advertising.  Such as what companies are able to say not say on advertising/marketing campaigns.  At the time of his current line of field in hospitality he would question what would happen if someone got hurt?  What actions would need to be taken?  Who is responsible?  That was when he realized he had an interest in law.  Working in the customer service field in the past has helped him to have a better understanding of how companies deal with certain situations.  It also helped him learn how to be the middleman between the company and their client.  He would often become the “voice” for either the customer or the company depending on which side he was talking to.

Like every career and profession, you will have your pros and cons.  Some pros Matthew mentioned are 1) the ability to help clients navigate through the legal process 2) help promote clients legally and 3) working with people to make their lives easier.  With the pros comes the cons.  Which according to Matthew is receiving clients at their worst.  Such as right after a slip and fall accident at work or on someone else property, or a car accident.  However, on the positive side you will do your best to make sure they are in a better situation after.  There are a couple of obstacles to overcome along the way when you are starting off as a lawyer.  Having a complex case right out of college, without experience, and without making a name for yourself are a couple you might have.  Knowing when to ask for help and seeking mentors is always a good idea when you are in a tough situation.  Learning and keeping your eyes and ears open will also help. 

Jeremy Kalben has helped Matthew along the way and has been a great mentor for him.  Jeremy has taught him how to get started in the law career, how to network and building his clientele, how to raise funds, and most importantly how to stay positive in the workplace.  The best advise Matthew would like to give is that if you have the desire to want to purse law just go for it.  Volunteer as much as you can for other cases to get some experience.  Don’t be afraid to do it or have self-doubt.  Just do it.  You might be surprised at what you can accomplish.  ‘It takes time thinking about time”

The desire to grow, his positivity, and his strong work ethic has helped Matthew succeed and is helping on his way to becoming even more successful than he already is.  He’s never shied away from something that he didn’t know what to do or how to start.  Instead, he would ask questions and seek the answer.  Which stands him out from the rest.  Just like every young professional Matthew is still trying to figure out how to balance his work life with his personal life.  He has recognized when he’s at work his mind needs to be at work and not somewhere else.  Which most of us can struggle with from time to time.  Staying focused on his tasks has helped him stay on schedule with both work and personal life activities.  When he is not focused on work Matthew likes to live in the moment and enjoy his time with his family and loved ones.