At 3:00 on Saturday afternoon, June 11, 1983, I finished working my last day shift, turned in my badge, service weapon and uniforms, and thus ended my 9-year career as a police officer. Two days later, on Monday, June 13, I put on my brand new three-piece, pin-striped suit and began practicing law. Eleven days from now I will retire, after practicing law for the past 39 years, 6 months and 19 days. In this time of giving thanks, I want to express thanks for three things that have greatly impacted my career.

First, while four years of law school had me juggling a full-time job, classes, studying and family, I quickly learned that it was a mere precursor to what I would soon experience. As an attorney, I don’t think I have ever worked a traditional 8-hour day, with 10 hours (+/-) being the norm. I will forever be thankful to my wife, Janice, my daughters Amy and Rebecca, and my son Brian, who endured those long, stress-filled days and a husband/father who was often preoccupied or altogether absent at times.

Second, I am thankful for the clients who put their faith and trust in me through the years, especially in the beginning. I quickly learned that while law school taught me basic legal principles, applying those principles to real people in real life situations was often very demanding. And the stakes were much higher than a bad grade on an exam.

Third, I am thankful for the attorneys and support staff I have worked with and learned from through the years. From this I can say that without question: my colleagues here at Wright Beamer are the best of the best.

Although I will be retiring on December 31, I leave behind an incredible team that is well able to serve your legal needs into the future. Please reach out to them at 248.477.6300.