Leslie J. Garrison
Bar Number: 18040
I am a family law Collaborative attorney and mediator. I also work part time contracting with the Office of Public Defense. My non-work life is filled with family, hiking, biking, and learning to paddleboard with my dog.
If you could change one thing about the legal system, what would you change? It would be that attorneys actually help their clients avoid court whenever possible. And when in court, that judges actually hold attorneys accountable for their actions.
How is being a lawyer different from the way you thought it would be? I didn’t expect to meet and work with such a variety of interesting people.
How did you become interested in your practice area? My dear friend, Laura Weight, introduced me to Collaborative Law while I was still a public defender. Who knows where I would be now if it weren’t for her!
What is your best piece of advice for someone who’s just entered law school? I am passing on the advice I was given when I started, since I think it helped keep me motivated to study: “There are too many lawyers, but not enough good ones.”
LIGHTNING ROUND
What did you eat for breakfast this morning? Blueberry pancakes.
What is one thing your colleagues may not know about you? I worked on the U.S. Air Force base in Adana, Turkey.
What is your favorite smell? Cinnamon.
What is your favorite podcast? The Writer’s Almanac.
What book have you read more than once? Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
What is the last thing you watched on television? Queer Eye, or was it Jeopardy?
What is the best fictional representation (TV, movie, book) of a lawyer? Atticus Finch.
What is your best random fact that you would share with others at a party? I raised three boys without a TV in our house.
What did you think was cool when you were younger that makes you cringe to think about now? Hand-embroidered pockets on my jeans.
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