Patrick Silloway

My time clerking greatly influences my practice. Apart from the experience analyzing cases and assisting with rendering decisions, my time with Judge Drake and Judge Manion gave me the opportunity to see the practice of law from behind the bench. I reviewed briefs and submissions, attended oral arguments and bench trials, and interacted with counsel, all from the unique perspective of the judge. Those experiences have given me a much greater understanding of how a judge responds to a lawyer's work and how a judge makes decisions in cases. That understanding is a tool I use to our clients' benefit.

I enjoy tackling complex legal issues on behalf of clients. Every case presents its own unique challenges and legal problems to solve. Even if a case involves an issue or fact pattern one has seen a hundred times, there will always be a wrinkle particular to that case. I'm a believer that every legal question has a "right" answer, we just need to work hard enough to find it, so figuring out how the law and the facts piece together is a great mental exercise I'd probably be doing even if it weren't my job. Being able to do this full time and help people at the same time just makes it even better.

I see a legal landscape more and more affected by the use of technology, particularly “Big Data.”  From law firms using automated systems to assist in legal research and reviewing discovery materials to judges relying on massive databases of word usage to determine the meaning of laws, technology will play a larger role in the resolution of legal disputes. Even with this encroachment, the practice of law remains and will remain a very human endeavor. Practitioners will need to balance those considerations to be successful.

I look forward to tackling complex regulatory and statutory issues. Many of our laws are interpreted and enforced—if not issued—by regulators, and I look forward to arguing for fair and accurate interpretations of those laws. Courts have begun to question the deference they have given to regulators on these issues, so this is an area in which significant and potentially lasting effects can be had on the law.