Passion — A passionate lawyer is dedicated to advocating for their client’s rights, seeking justice, and obtaining fair compensation. Honestly, in my opinion, personal injury law can be emotionally taxing and draining, so a lack of passion would really bring into question your reasoning for being in law in the first place.
The legal field is known to be extremely competitive. Lawyers are often smart, ambitious, and highly educated. That being said, what does it take to stand out and become a “Top Lawyer” in your specific field of law? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law”, we are talking to top lawyers who share what it takes to excel and stand out in your industry.
As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Howard S. Abrams.
Howard S. Abrams is the founding partner, specializing in personal injury, at the Law Office of Howard S. Abrams in Chicago, Illinois, where he handles and oversees a wide variety of plaintiffs’ personal injury and professional negligence matters, both pre-litigation and through trial. Howard has been the lead trial attorney in over 50 jury and bench trials, successfully resolving numerous cases through mediation and arbitration. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, and his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in Chicago, Howard was a trial attorney at various Chicago-based law firms for nearly a decade before opening his own firm in 2016, where he has dedicated himself to serving all of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs with passionate legal representation.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. What is the “backstory” that brought you to this particular career path in Law? Did you want to be an attorney “when you grew up”?
Myjourney towards a legal career was a bit unconventional, since I never really envisioned myself as a lawyer, despite watching my dad put on a suit and tie every day and go to work as a criminal defense attorney. I started college as a history major and was looking to become a teacher, then considered switching to a business path, but never enjoyed any of the business classes I took. Eventually, I was drawn to law from spending time with classmates and realizing that I had aspirations outside the teaching field, so I decided to pursue the law and apply to law school.
I got my law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, worked two clerking positions, and then became a trial lawyer, but I was drawn to the business side of law and began developing strategies and expanding my clientele base and opened my own firm in 2016, breaking away from the establishments to create my own vision. Now, I’m able to tailor my practice to my beliefs and offer personalized attention to clients.
Can you tell us a bit about the nature of your practice and what you focus on?
I focus solely on plaintiff personal injury law, and don’t venture into defense work, focusing on advocating for those who have been injured and are entitled to compensation. I also handle workers’ compensation cases, but my main focus has always been on those who were harmed due to negligence or wrongdoing.
You are a successful attorney. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? What unique qualities do you have that others may not? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Success isn’t solely measured by case outcomes, but by the satisfaction and trust of my clients. Repeat clients are my greatest success stories because their return signifies a complete trust in my abilities and the satisfaction they experienced with my representation, especially when you consider the vast amount of personal injury lawyers they can choose for representation. To set yourself apart from the field, the three character traits crucial for any attorney are patience, empathy, and passion. Every case is unique, and I’m not just referring to legal terms, but the individual circumstances surrounding the client involved. There are high emotional stakes in personal injury cases, and empathy and patience are vital while navigating those emotional situations. One of the most important parts of my role is to make sure I see my clients beyond a “case number,” but recognize them as individuals who are in a tough situation and need legal guidance. Sometimes, there can be negative stereotypes around personal injury lawyers, so it can be a struggle to overcome those thoughts, but by focusing on the genuine needs of each client and treating them as human beings we can show a true connection to their needs, which is typically the opposite of the impersonal approach of the insurance companies.
Do you think you have had luck in your success? Can you explain what you mean?
No, luck doesn’t have much to do with anyone’s success, but I think there are fortuitous encounters. I probably have been “lucky” in terms of being at the right place at the right time, making valuable connections that have certainly contributed to my success, but hard work, dedication, and an understanding of the field play a bigger role in success. You must put in the effort and display the expertise needed to stand out and become a preferred choice amongst the multitude of representation options available. So yes, while luck might help create opportunities, it is up to you to be able to seize those opportunities and take advantage of them through perseverance, competence, and a strong work ethic.
Do you think where you went to school has any bearing on your success? How important is it for a lawyer to go to a top-tier school?
Obviously, there are prestigious law schools that can hold a bit more sway over big law firms and within the corporate legal space, tending to open doors to larger, global law practices, where the client list typically involves large corporate organizations. Outside of “big law” though, your alma mater isn’t as critical.
I was born and raised in Chicago, and I knew I wanted to practice law in Chicago after graduating law school, so it made more sense for me to choose a law school in the area than focusing on a prestigious name school. Thankfully, Chicago has plenty of law schools that all offer ample opportunities for legal practice, and once you open your own firm, the weight of your alma mater decreases significantly.
Based on the lessons you have learned from your experience, if you could go back in time and speak to your twenty-year-old self, what would you say? Would you do anything differently?
I wouldn’t change anything, but I would make sure to reassure myself of my choices and probably suggest a shift in perspective, but not alter specific actions. I would emphasize to myself the importance of being open-minded and adaptable, encouraging myself to focus less on following a set trajectory and more on being receptive to unexpected opportunities that could lead to unforeseen paths, such as opening my own firm.
Every step I took, every skill I gained, and every experience I gained has contributed to where I am today, so one of the biggest pieces of advice would be to simply trust the process and not get fixated on the normal measurements of success, like your grades or becoming a partner at a firm.
I would also advise myself of the value of practical experience, clerkships, and networking. Prioritizing these real-world connections and hands-on opportunities to learn can lead to great growth in one’s career, and would be something I would advise my younger self, and future lawyers to make sure to focus on while progressing through law school and their careers.
This is not easy work. What is your primary motivation and drive behind the work that you do?
My primary motivation lies in my clients’ success and satisfaction. I fully understand the frustration that some clients face when dealing with insurance companies, or whoever is on the other side of the case from them, and emphasizing to them that their claims represent an obstacle to the insurance company to their goal of minimizing loss is sometimes difficult to understand. Sometimes, clients feel like they are simply a line item on the insurance company’s balance sheet, and their goal is to give out as little amount of money as possible, but I’m here to advocate for my clients’ rights, ensuring they receive the compensation they rightfully deserve.
What some clients don’t realize at first, is that my entire livelihood is linked to the success of their case, not the amount of time spent on the case, so when cases take a long time, it’s not being drawn out on purpose, making it important for me to explain this to my clients and guide them through the entire legal process, understanding the workings of their case and how their rights are linked to the case and its outcome, not how much time we spend working on the case.
My ultimate satisfaction is obviously securing compensation for my clients, ensuring they are treated fairly and receive the compensation they are entitled to for the wrong committed against them.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Premise law is known for its complexity and risks, typically involving the emotionally charged case of severe injuries or significant surgeries on top of having to navigate a space where settlements are scarce, judgements might not occur for years at a time, and the verdict of a jury can be highly unpredictable, The whole sector is full of uncertainty, with judges capable of dismissing a case years into the work, but these pivotal moments, having a judge rule in your favor during a summary judgement, that feeling comes second only to hearing you have earned your client a favorable verdict with a jury. These moments don’t come around very often either, due to the length of time these cases can take, but to have the dynamics of a case completely shift in your favor based on one summary judgement, that usually leads to negotiations and pre-trial settlements, which helps avoid the uncertainty of a jury verdict.
Where do you go from here? Where do you aim to be in the next chapter of your career?
As the owner of my own firm, I have a few different options for next steps, but I’m not entirely sure what I want to do. I will most likely focus on strategic business growth and enhancing the internal operations of the firm, perhaps considering a partnership to share leadership of the firm, which could open the door to smoother growth by pooling resources, sharing responsibilities, and tapping into different expertise and experiences, but there is always the hesitation of making sure the partner is a good fit to ensure continued success.
I could also choose to expand my employee base, hiring more associates or additional trial attorneys to help manage workload and create expansion internally, but I don’t want to scale too quickly without maintaining the ability to effectively handle our client load. Our quality of service must remain consistent no matter what steps I take next, so we have to make sure the firm continues to operate efficiently above all else.
Without sharing anything confidential, can you please share your most successful “war story”? Can you share the funniest?
One of my most successful and memorable experiences involved a trial case against a bus company, joining the case only six months before trial and going up against a seasoned lawyer on the other side of the case. The defense originally presented a bus driver they said was driving the bus when my client was thrown from his seat and injured, but my client provided extremely detailed information about the accident, citing the date, route, location, and even the bus number, all of which contradicted where the provided driver’s log said he was during the incident.
My client presented the same information to the jury, pointing at the supposed driver as who was driving the bus on the day of the incident, but I realized that my client had gotten one number of the bus number incorrect, and the defense had provided the driver of that bus, not the bus that was involved. I confronted the CTA supervisor, who eventually admitted they had not thoroughly investigated the case and merely used my client’s mistaking of one number to argue that he was lying, and the accident never happened, despite all the rest of the information being correct.
During my closing argument I highlighted CTA’s negligence to the case, how they overlooked critical details, and dismissed the valid report based on the minor discrepancy in the bus number. Being able to think on my feet and adapt to my findings were crucial to my success on that case, and it is still the only case where a jury awarded my client with the full amount we were seeking, which rarely occurs in plaintiff injury cases.
Ok, fantastic. Let’s now shift to discussing some advice for aspiring lawyers. Do you work remotely? Onsite? Or Hybrid? What do you think will be the future of how law offices operate? What do you prefer? Can you please explain what you mean?
I encourage a hybrid approach, which is what we use at my firm, due to its efficiency. Why spend time commuting to an office, when I can take five minutes to walk down the hall and start working? This arrangement allows me to maximize my personal time with my family, helping maintain a strong work-life balance, which can be extremely difficult in this profession.
I utilize two physical offices and I also have a home office set up, and this style of work has really become a permanent fixture in my life, and I don’t expect it to change. I’m still able to go into the office for a few hours and handle any urgent matters and thanks to cloud-based services, I can access case files from just about anywhere, which certainly wasn’t an option early-on in my career.
How has the legal world changed since COVID? How do you think it might change in the near future? Can you explain what you mean?
COVID brought about some significant changes to the legal world, including the recognition and discussion of the mental health toll on the population, a topic that wasn’t given as much attention previously. The pandemic highlighted the importance of mental health and its impact on employees across various industries. People are reassessing their career priorities now, seeking out not only salary incentives, but non-traditional offers that cater to their overall well-being.
Now, younger individuals are entering the workforce having experienced a vastly different professional environment compared to what we were groomed through during pre-pandemic times. Even jury duty has been affected though, with people not wanting to give their full attention or the due diligence deserved simply because they do not want to be there. Jury duty was always tough, but now it seems even harder to have a jury that is engaged while in court.
In the future, I expect changes from COVID will continue, influencing how law firms and legal professionals operate, with ongoing discussions and adaptations concerning mental health considerations taking a forefront in the workplace.
Based on your experience, how can attorneys effectively leverage social media to build their practice?
Everyone can find their own use for social media, and it can be tough to use for people in the legal profession, as it can come across as cheesy. I would prefer to focus my online usage on understandingGoogle and SEOs more than social media; however, I acknowledge the value of social media when it comes to networking, building referral partners, and showcasing your big wins and thought leadership pieces to highlight your expertise and understanding of the legal space.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Become A Top Lawyer In Your Specific Field of Law?”
Empathy — Most personal injury cases involve someone who has experienced trauma or some sort of injury, sometimes severe, and showing empathy can help build trust and rapport with your clients at a time when they probably feel misunderstood and alone. It also helps create effective lines of communication, actively listening to your client with sensitivity and the ability to convey complex legal matters in a way that is reassuring and keeps them as calm as possible.
Passion — A passionate lawyer is dedicated to advocating for their client’s rights, seeking justice, and obtaining fair compensation. Honestly, in my opinion, personal injury law can be emotionally taxing and draining, so a lack of passion would really bring into question your reasoning for being in law in the first place.
Patience — As I think we all know, there isn’t really anything in the legal field that happens quickly, so there is an obvious reason that patience is needed. But also, you need to be patient with your clients when explaining the legal process, providing emotional support to clients who may be dealing with physical injuries, emotional distress, or even financial hardships. Then, in negotiations, rushing through the process could be disastrous to your client. You must maintain patience to ensure all the facts are covered and the settlement is adequate, at worst, for the case being handled at that time.
Understanding — You need to have an understanding of the law, obviously, but you need to understand the field you are operating in, the intricacies of the specific case you are working on, beyond just a solid understanding, but truly every detail possible, and you need to understand your client. In terms of the client, some of the most important aspects of the job is your ability to understand what makes them tick and how they can best understand what you’re explaining, whether it’s detailing how you won the case, how you lost the case, or every aspect of the case in between. You are the one with the law knowledge, and you need to be able to help them understand as well.
Approachability — I have a hard time dealing with attorneys who are quick to tell people, especially clients, they are wrong without any explanation, backing, or reason. I understand these can be complicated personal injury cases, but we are not dealing in rocket science, and it is not the brain power of the attorney that makes or breaks a case, but making sure you do what you need to do to move the case forward.
At the end of the day, this entire process is expensive, and time-consuming, and it can be difficult to get juries to award a truly substantial amount. Yes, the lawyer is the one who presents the evidence, but they are not the one who controls the outcome of a case. The 12 members of the jury can think independently and must come to a UNANIMOUS conclusion, at least in Illinois anyway. As a lawyer, you must prove your point and present the facts, but the jury doesn’t always understand the intricacies of the law, and most of the time they don’t realize that the defendant isn’t paying any amount awarded, but it’s coming from the insurance company, making the jury sometimes award less than the plaintiff might truly be owed out of pity for the defense.
You can spend days or even weeks presenting something that you’ve been working on for years, and then the jury could make a ruling in four hours, and you’re not even betting on something 50/50. You could be the best lawyer ever, but the facts of a case are all you can use, and then you must hope your presentation and the facts are interpreted favorably by the jury.
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This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!