Great advocacy is more than just experience: it is also about character and purpose. In this series, we take a moment to introduce you to the individuals who make up the firm, by asking 5 quick questions that help you get to know them a little bit better.
This month: partner Shelley Detwiller DiGiacomo.
1. I became a lawyer because…
Growing up, I had no intention of becoming a lawyer.
I went to graduate school thinking I’d be a college professor studying democratization in Latin America. While I very much enjoyed my graduate program, I began to worry about the uncertainty of my employment after graduation.
I had a number of friends in law school, and, at the time, their path seemed more certain than the one I was on. I decided to apply to law school after I finished my master’s degree.
My becoming a lawyer was a bit of an accident, but a happy one.
2. If I did not become an attorney, my other dream career would be…
I would have stayed in academia.
I mean, I’m still trying to stay in school! I’m currently taking classes toward my LL.M. in Taxation. But yes, I would have stayed in academia. I love learning, and I love teaching.
Just ask any associate. I want to go on and on when I am explaining “why” we are doing something in a particular way. I am certain that they love that.
3. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was…
It’s really kind of mundane, but my father has always said to me: “Pay attention to detail.”
That seems very simple, of course that’s what you should do, but it’s very good advice for the law. Mind the little things.
This advice also guides my life outside of the law. I try to pay attention to the small things in life and not take them for granted. I love birds, the outdoors, little tiny flowers.
Those seemingly small things bring a lot of richness to my life.
4. One of my favorite movies is…
I don’t watch a lot of movies, but my favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption.
The film has a lot of violence, but it speaks to the resilience of the human spirit.
I also loved Coco, so my film diet is not all so intense!
5. My last listen (podcast, playlist or audiobook) was…
I’ve been working on my Spanish and there is a radio program/podcast I use for practice called Radio Ambulante. It’s an NPR program. Sort of like This American Life but all in Spanish and focused on Latin America.
They tell stories from all over Latin America covering politics, art, public interest, environment, history, personal stories, and more. It is fun to listen to so many different types of stories from so many places (and the diversity of Spanish accents), and practice Spanish at the same time.
A recent favorite was called “Amores como el Nuestro” [A Love Like Ours].
They told the story of a young priest and nun in Argentina in 1991 who found themselves working on community projects together. They fell in love but of course were not permitted to act on those feelings. The nun left her order first, realizing she could not continue in her life in the convent, and a few months thereafter, the priest, having learned that she was gone, left the church to go and find her. It was a beautiful love story with a happy ending.
My favorite thing about the internet is the radio.