Crank the Tunes and Silence the Interruptions: It's Melissa Mosier Time

I can’t go a day without … coffee, and lots of it!

If you were in my office, you’d … see lots of pictures of my kids. They are my biggest inspiration for what I do. That being said, work is a good break from them, and they are a good break from work—oh, the patience they teach me daily.

My colleagues would be surprised to know that … I am obsessed with music. I listen to it all the time—Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Journey, Sam Smith, Celia Cruz, Rüfüs Du Sol, and anything from the ’70s. 

The quality I most like in a lawyer is … the ability to tell a great story.

My career high point (so far) has been … our $17 million trial and verdict against XPO Express and XPO Logistics for the fiery tractor-trailer crash that killed an entire family heading home from vacation. We were humbled to bring some measure of closure to our clients and justice for the family they lost. That case has forever changed me.

When I win a case, I celebrate by …  going to the beach. If I can’t do that, I usually take half a day off to spend time with my kids and hit the gym—after all, there is more work that has piled up during the trial!

The law I would change is … caps on damages. We should trust juries to award an appropriate amount of money that fully compensates an injured person. Wrongdoers should not get a discount for their bad acts.

My real-life heroes are … my mom and dad. They both emigrated from Cuba to the U.S. when they were kids—7 and 14. Every good quality I have is a reflection of my wonderful parents.  

On weekends I … hit the gym. And anyone who lives in my neighborhood sees me walking with my basketball team, as Karl Brehmer calls us; we walk year-round. 

If I had a time machine, I’d … want to see my grandparents one last time. I made the mistake of thinking I was too busy to visit them , and that is a decision I will forever regret. Given the chance, you show up for the people you love, because everything else can wait.

My motto is … do or do not, there is no try.

If I had a morning show, my co-host would be … the one and only Lisa McPherson.

The last TV show I binge-watched was … The Crown. If you aren’t watching this, you really should!

My guilty pleasure is … going on business trips solo. 

The best meal I ever had was … at Canoe up in Toronto. It offered an incredible view from a high-rise building, and then the courses kept coming out with different wine pairings. 

The most annoying thing about my job is … the constant interruptions.

If you could offer one piece of advice to new lawyers, it would be … to maintain your integrity and extend every courtesy you can to your fellow lawyer. Our job is tough enough as it is, and you never know when you will be the one who needs a bit of grace.