My path to becoming a lawyer was not conventional, but it has everything to do with the "who, what, where, why and how" I practice law. Engrained in my core are values learned as a farm kid from Northeast Kansas, where your good name is your most prized possession, respect is something you earn, there is no substitute for hard work, honesty is always the best policy, to always be fair, that you're no better than anyone else, and when someone has a need you do what you can to help. These values simply boil down to treating others just like you want them to treat you, otherwise known as the Golden Rule. After college I spent twenty-five years getting my real education in the business world school of hard knocks where I had many successes, but perhaps more importantly learned valuable lessons from my failures. I went back to law school later in life because I believe I was called to use my background and life experiences to assist and serve others with sound legal counsel, advice and guidance. I practice law because I want to help others. That can mean helping a client attain fairness and justice when they've been wronged, or providing them with sound counsel and advice in their business affairs or personal lives. The one word description of my goal as a lawyer is to always be my client's "advocate."