Each week on “Your Legal Buzz” our host Tiffany Howard talks to attorneys in the North Florida area who are making a difference. This week she sat down with Sheryl Johnson, from Covius, and Cole Dial, from the Law Offices of Ron Sholes.
The Law Offices of Ronald E. Sholes serve Florida and Georgia’s injured with aggressive representation and the personal service that they expect and deserve from a law firm. To learn more, visit http://www.youhurtwefight.com.
Why did you choose to go into law?: It was a career field that I had always respected; one in which I expected to help people on very serious matters.
What is your specific field of law?: Tort law and litigation. How do you set yourself apart from other firms in the area?: Other firms in the area and volume firms, meaning they turn and burn cases to make a quick buck. My firm really digs deep for each client and makes sure they receive every available benefit the are entitled to. \
What do you see as the greatest challenges in your practice?: Interpreting the legal happenings to every client. You must take on a role that educates people. This takes time, patience, and refinement of your own processes.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as an attorney?: Delivering results for my clients, is the greatest reward. My whole job is to take on other people’s’ problems and solve them. There is a small personal reward I feel when I complete a case, but making the client happy is the greatest accomplishment.
How do you stay connected to your community? Are you involved in any local organizations?: The city doesn’t allot money for parades, so my law firm sponsors them. The Veteran’s Day Parade and the Martin Luther King Jr. parade our our 2 biggest contributions. We also sponsor local sports leagues and the FFA.
What advice would you give someone considering going to law school?: Be serious. Assume a mindset of professionalism when speaking with everyone. Learn to triage issues and manage your time efficiently.
Covius is a trusted provider of services, insight and technology to leading financial companies. Covius’ businesses are recognized leaders in credit and verification services, HOA and tax tracking, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, compliant document services and comprehensive settlement services. To lean more, visit https://covius.com.
Why did you choose to go into law?: I always viewed it as a strategic puzzle and wanted to work in a role that used my troubleshooting skills.
What is your specific field of law?: Financial services and regulatory lawyer
How do you set yourself apart from other firms in the area?: I’m general counsel for a local company. I have been a compliance and risk officer as well. I set myself apart from other attorneys by leveraging my knowledge of operational processes to help support legal compliance and balance operational efficiencies.
What do you see as the greatest challenges in your practice?: Learning to bridge relationships between attorneys and our business units. There are often natural tensions between lawyers and business growth so we work on a balanced approach.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as an attorney?: During the mortgage crisis, my prior company was under a lot of scrutiny. We successfully navigated the legal issues which was an accomplishment but my greatest accomplishment was getting personal notes from employees that we supported during that time thanking me for being there for them and supporting them. It was a reminder that as lawyers we can separate the emotional aspects of an issue from the technical law but we always have to remember the people aspect of our jobs.
How do you stay connected to your community? Are you involved in any local organizations?: I sit on the board of JFCS, one of the largest social services organizations here in Jacksonville. And I also run a non-profit called Hearts 4 Minds Inc that we started after we lost our oldest son Alex. We work to raise awareness about mental health and partner with organizations like Baptist to improve mental health services.
What advice would you give someone considering going to law school?: Work hard. Follow your passion and remember that we are always connected to people. When we can balance our job with a compassionate component, we are all more successful.
