Bar Number: 17593
Juli Farris is a partner in Keller Rohrback L.L.P.’s Complex Litigation Group. Born and raised in Seattle, she returned to her hometown after a judicial clerkship in Jackson, Mississippi, and a brief stint practicing in Washington, D.C. She is a member and past president of the Legal Foundation of Washington Board of Trustees and has served on the boards of numerous local community and arts organizations.
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What is the most interesting case you have handled in your career so far and why?
I’m most interested in a case while I am working on it and am ready to leave it behind when it’s over. What I remember most are the people involved. So many of my clients have been inspiring and brave. It is an honor to take up their causes and gratifying when we are able to help them in a meaningful way.
Did you end up practicing in the area of law you expected? If not, where did you end up and why?
Not by a long shot. I am lucky to have ended up in a practice I find both challenging and fulfilling. But the predominant areas of my practice—antitrust, securities, and environmental law—are all subjects I avoided during law school.
What has surprised me most about practicing law is the amount I’ve continued to learn over the course of my career, about different areas of law and different industries, and things that have nothing to do with the practice of law but in growing as a person.
What is the biggest regret of your career?
I think the most important thing each of us offers is not what we “do” in our careers, but what we leave behind. One benefit of remaining at the same firm for so long is seeing the results of what I worked hard to plant and nurture. So, I wish I’d had even more time to support and mentor others. Also wish I’d learned sooner that you can only help people in the way they want to be helped.
What is your biggest success?
As with the above, to the extent I’ve had a positive impact on my firm, my community, or the people in it, that is my biggest success.
How would you be earning a living if you weren’t a lawyer?
I always thought it would be cool to be an architect, if I’d had the right skillset. But I worked in marketing and publishing before I went to law school, so I probably would have continued that and ended up in business school.
LIGHTNING ROUND
How do you unwind or recharge after a difficult day? Walking my dog, Rooney, walking to and from work, reading, and meditation, is the answer I’d like to give. I do those things, but television and “hopescrolling” is the more accurate answer.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? The best piece of advice that I received about the practice of law came from my father, Judge Jerome Farris. When I was a new lawyer, he told me that if others tried to intimidate me, I should remember that David slew Goliath with five smooth stones. Don’t try to be anyone else, rely on your own strengths, and be prepared. I think that is good advice for any lawyer.
Who is your favorite writer? There are many. I’ve always loved reading, and my mother was a librarian, but I’ll say Toni Morrison. My sister wrote her a fan letter when we were in grade school and Ms. Morrison sent her the nicest response.
What’s your go-to karaoke song? Ugh! Haven’t found one yet. I like to sing—at church, in the shower, at a campfire, in the choir—but the few times I’ve done karaoke I am reminded why I find it humiliating and why you really do need a go-to song.
What’s the best place you’ve ever traveled to? Too many! Travel itself is the best place. But Tahiti comes to mind.
What is the best movie you’ve ever seen? So many. My most recent favorite is Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. As an adult daughter, or the mother of one, it resonates.
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