NYSBA News Center Member Spotlight: Marian Rice - Malpractice and Risk Management Attorney
Interviewed by: Jennifer Andrus
Why do you love to practice in attorney representation and risk management?
It’s the greatest area of practice on earth! You meet a million wonderful people and every day is new and different. You’re dealing with a different area of law in every case. While I didn’t have a role model that led me to legal malpractice, I am so grateful that the career came to me early on. Now, so many years later and I still think it’s the greatest job on earth.
You take an active role in NYSBA and Co-Chair the Law Practice Management Committee. Why are you so involved and what do you get out of it?
I enjoy working with attorneys and helping them out and the bar association is a big part of that. The LPM committee helps members with tools and information to manage their practices, avoid claims and conflict, and, in the end, how to make money. So many committee members are my role models. They are very good at managing their time while maintaining a work- life balance. Being a lawyer it’s very difficult and they’ve been great at getting important material out to everybody.
I can’t underestimate the value of networking at the bar association and being able to mentor younger lawyers. So many younger lawyers are putting their shingle out now; it’s one of the best ways that they can get access to people who have more experience in their substantive areas of practice or even in the management of a practice.
You signed onto the Committee on Attorney Well-Being. How has that helped your own practice and that of other members?
The pandemic forced us to change and adapt faster than we thought possible. It highlighted the need for equilibrium in our lives. I really do believe that as horrible as the pandemic was, it showed us how to recognize attorneys’ well-being and still get our daily jobs done. It has shone a light on what is possible with remote work, gaining the attention of a lot of law firms that would have never signed on before. I hope the work of the committee doesn’t get lost. I’m glad that it is now a permanent committee
What advice would you give a lawyer just starting in their career?
My advice to any person is always keep your options open. If there’s two paths that you have and one of them will foreclose any other opportunity, but the one you’re looking at — go for the one that’s going to give you options going forward. My advice to people getting out of law school is just keep your options open, try every opportunity. I never would have thought in a million years that defending attorneys would have been a terrific career to have, and it really is. So, just go with the flow.
Finish this statement: “Lawyers should join the New York State Bar Association because … “
Without a doubt, in every circumstance, they will become better because of their membership: better substantive lawyers, better managed lawyers and better able to meet their client’s needs. Plus, they can meet their own needs as well and that’s really why they should join the bar association. So many times, when I talk to younger attorneys, they say to me they don’t have time. I get that with young families, but the investment pays off exponentially!
The original article can be accessed on the NYSBA website here.