Enjoy yourself. The process will be stressful and difficult, but it will also be a lot of fun.

A Conversation On Leadership & Life In The Law with Attorney Jared Marshall

Jared Marshall is an attorney in our Fresno office where his practice is primarily focused on trust and estate litigation, guardianship, and conservatorship litigation.

We recently had the opportunity to talk with Jared about his life in the legal profession and lessons learned.

In this week’s leadership profile we turn the spotlight on attorney Jared Marshall in our Fresno office! Like many Fennemore attorneys, you believe in “paying it forward,” sharing your legal knowledge as a teacher and mentor. Why is this work so important to you?

Because I love having a captive audience that feels obligated to laugh at my jokes.

Truthfully though, it’s because we are at our best as lawyers when we are up against other great lawyers. I want to challenge people and push them forward because someday they will do the same for me. Together, we’ll raise the bar for the whole profession (no pun intended).

How were your holidays? And do you have any resolutions you’d like to share for 2023?

My big holiday plans were the same as they are every year. I stayed up late on Christmas Eve with milk and cookies and waited for four ghosts to show up and try to convince me that I am not perfect exactly as I am.

They didn’t show up (they never do), and were not inclined toward spirited debate (pun intended), so my resolution for 2023 will be to keep being exactly as awesome as I am now.

What would you tell your younger self, or a 1L at the University Of Southern California, Gould School of Law currently contemplating a career in the law?

Enjoy yourself. The process will be stressful and difficult, but it will also be a lot of fun. Stop and smell the roses.

Without naming your clients, are there any intriguing current matters that you’re working on in your hybrid practice, which includes Business Litigation, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning and Intellectual Property?

Actually, yes. A somewhat famous, eccentric inventor passed away without an estate plan. His heirs assigned his intellectual property to our client. Our client is now attempting to enforce his rights against potential infringers all over the world.

Who is your hero – or the person who has had the greatest impact on your life and career?

My grandfather. He was a depression era survivor who, at the age of 14, drove his elderly parents and younger siblings from Kansas to California during the dustbowl and its aftermath. He arrived in Tranquility, California and began working as a farm hand and going to high-school. He continued to work in agriculture—in the fields—to provide for his family until shortly before his death at 81. He believed in the value of hard work above all else and instilled that on his kids and grandkids, myself included. I try to live up to his example every day.

Talk about your biggest failure. What did you learn? And how did you pick up the pieces and move forward?

My law school moot court competition. I was shaking so much that my knees were audibly knocking against the inside of the podium. I couldn’t remember a single case or point I wanted to make. It was a disaster. It was so bad that I actually completely changed my career trajectory and tried to become a transactional lawyer. In the end though, I couldn’t change the fact that deep down I still wanted to be a litigator.

Ultimately, I was fortunate to have a number of great mentors that helped me develop the skills and mindset necessary to move on. Fast forward a little over a decade, and I was teaching moot court and coaching a moot court team for the local law school.

What’s the best – and worst – piece of career advice that you’ve ever received?

Best: “Work harder, not smarter.” (At some point, you just have to accept the fact that the job is going to be unpleasant, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.)

Worst: “Try the yellowtail. You’ll love it.” (Less than 12 hours later I was arguing a motion for summary judgment in the midst of the worst case of food poisoning I’ve ever had.)

What are you currently listening to (podcast or music); reading; and watching/streaming?

Ironically, they are unrelated but both titled “Cabinet of Curiosities.” I’m watching Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities and listening to Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities.

Last, but not least, if you and your family were hosting a sumptuous dinner at your home to kick-off the new year, name the three people – from any time in human history – who you’d invite.

Dante Alighieri, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft.

Happy New Year! And many thanks to Jared and all of our attorneys in Fresno who continually make a positive impact on our clients, and the Central Valley community.

For more information, please visit: https://www.fennemorelaw.com/contact-us/fresno/ .