Discovery with Kevin R. Lashus

Kevin Lashus’ health tip: Do more pro bono

Published in 2017 Texas Super Lawyers magazine

By Kevin R. Lashus on September 5, 2017

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My nickname is … Chaps. It’s actually my fraternity pledge name. One, I had a short temper; and two, I generally over-cologned. But I’ve matured. My friends usually just call me Lashus. 

If you were in my office, you’d … have a hard time finding a place to sit. I have a very large, stand-up desk. Can’t imagine sitting at my desk ever again.

The lawyer I most admire is … Rick Gump from Dallas. He’s been quite a mentor to many of the more successful immigration attorneys in Texas. He’s a family man first, and a very good lawyer second. He always has time to talk when I come up against something I’ve not seen before. 

The quality I most like in a lawyer is … reasonableness. We’re all advocates. Sometimes our clients take unreasonable positions. It’s OK to tell the other side you understand it’s a big ask—just be reasonable about the approach. There’s never a need to raise your voice.

When I started, I wish I knew … it’s always OK to ask a magistrate for constructive criticism. Judges want to preside over cases with lawyers who are reasonable and are doing their best for their client. 

If I weren’t a lawyer, I’d be … an engineer. Frankly, I should have been an engineer. The practice of law is really, really hard. At times it can be really destructive. The highs are really never that high. That’s why being active in pro bono work is so critical to long-term health. The best victories usually involve clients who can’t pay you. 

A different practice area that intrigues me is … sports law: collective bargaining, agency, NCAA regulation. I have had partners who are also sports agents and team representatives. Their lives are so glamorous. 

I can’t believe more people haven’t read … On Liberty, by John Stuart Mill. Every single lawyer should read it. It’s the basis for my fairly libertarian beliefs—something my wife and I are commonly fighting over. 

My real-life hero is … Teddy Roosevelt. If you haven’t read the Edmund Morris trilogy, add it to your must-read list. 

The talent I wish I had is … solving a Rubik’s Cube. I can’t get over how some folks, usually children, are able to solve the cube so fast. I tried to learn, and failed, and continue to fail. Know your limitations and ask for help—great life lessons. 

My courtroom walk-up music would be … “So What’cha Want” by the Beastie Boys. I’ll pour out some beer for MCA (Adam Yauch).

My guilty pleasure is … fantasy football. I run two fantasy football podcasts. I’ve been playing with the same league for 20 years now, and they’re as obsessed as I am. We all commit to destination drafting. We put all our families in cars or planes and draft at a resort together. All of our wives are saints.

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