Borat, Navy Brats and the Delaware Bar?s Default Setting

Discovery with Darryl Hawthorne-Searight

Published in 2022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine

By Darryl Hawthorne-Searight on May 25, 2022

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My courtroom walk-up music would be … Get Up 10 by Cardi B. 

My career high point (so far) has been … finding an area of the law that I really love and moving to White and Williams.

When I win a case, I celebrate by … calling my client to ensure that they are pleased with the results.

I can’t believe more people haven’t read … the Constitution. Too many people love to “quote” it terribly. Armchair lawyers are my biggest pet peeve. 

On weekends I … love watching scary movies or traveling with my sister, cooking with my fiancé, and playing with my four hilarious cats.

The most fascinating person I ever met is … my Uncle George. He passed in December 2020, but his life was a series of amazing adventures. Among other things, he was a war veteran, a pilot with his own Cessna, owned a grocery chain in the DMV area, and frequently ended phone calls by shouting, “Gotta go! My hair’s on fire!” 

My real life hero is … my mom, LCDR Cheryll M. Hawthorne, USN (Ret.). She is a Renaissance woman, who has accomplished more than anyone I know. Her life (and LinkedIn) blows even me away. And she raised me!

If I had a time machine I’d … go back to my early teens, to enjoy living as a Navy brat in London. Best years of my life. 

The movie line I quote most often is … inappropriate. Borat is NSFW.

If I had a morning show, my co-host would be … my sister, but you probably wouldn’t be able to hear us through the laughter.

My favorite podcast is … True Crime Obsessed. Despite the subject matter, the hosts keep me laughing until I cry.

Nothing cheers me up like … listening to Harry Potter audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale.

The best meal I ever had was … any Italian food whipped up by my fiancé, Robert. He has to be at least half-wizard. 

My least-favorite word is … “can’t.” My response: “Figure it out.”

I collect … Rothy’s washable flats. I’m obsessed. Just ask my closet. And foyer.

The most annoying thing about my job is … out-of-state attorneys who don’t understand that the Delaware Bar’s default setting is collegial.

The one thing that I would change about the legal profession is … the idea that a lawyer must look or behave a certain way. Talent comes in so many forms.

My coolest pre-law job was … working at NMS Labs in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. On my last day, I tested tissue from a human lung (that was stored in a paint can) to determine what the decedent inhaled in a house fire. I’m just glad I never dropped the positive control urine on myself.

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