About Beth Taylor
Beth Taylor was a senior editor for Super Lawyers for more than 20 years, and has won dozens of awards for headline-writing and editing throughout her career. Previously, she was an editor and covered courts for The Orlando Sentinel. She also worked for go2net and KIRO-TV in Seattle, where she wrote for and edited their websites. In addition, Beth edited The Kitsap Business Journal and Media Inc. Beth has written travel books, including Around Seattle With Kids for Fodor’s and Seattle Day By Day for Frommer’s, and online travel guides for Google. Her travel writing has appeared in publications including the Chicago Tribune and the San Francisco Chronicle. Beth has a B.A. in communications/journalism and a master’s degree in political science.
Articles written by Beth Taylor
Swim Lessons
What Melissa Westberg learned in lap lanesFor Melissa Westberg, swimming is a nonnegotiable part of life. It led her to school records, All-American honors, and a full-ride scholarship to Syracuse University, where she competed for four years. “Swimming has a way of teaching discipline early and testing it daily,” says Westberg, a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney at GLP Attorneys in Seattle. “Division I swimming is not for the faint of heart. We trained 20 hours per week, balancing daily 5:30 a.m. practices with a full …
Hoopfest Dreams
Rory Cosgrove’s time spent on a court, rather than in oneRory Cosgrove’s passion for sports started early in life. “If the sport involved a ball, I was either watching or playing it,” he says. The family budget could only afford one, though, so his mother gave him an option: basketball or soccer. “I chose basketball. And that choice changed my life.” He played it throughout his childhood, culminating in a runner-up finish in the 4A boys basketball state tournament for South Kitsap High School. It was in college that he began playing in …
Lagos’ Lego-cy
The plastic brick foundations laid by Ben LagosA few years ago, Ben Lagos received a Lego set for Christmas—a model of Doak Campbell Stadium at his alma mater, Florida State University. By the time he placed the last block, says the employment and labor attorney at Allen Norton & Blue, “I was hooked.” Today, his Tallahassee office and home have become populated with a variety of Lego projects. There’s the mini-model of Yankee Stadium, a playful otter at Florida Aquarium, and the larger finished pieces—which include his …
Saltwater Soul
The sea is Tonya J. Meister’s happy placeTonya J. Meister knew early on that she would have a lifelong fascination with all things maritime. “The sea has always brought me joy, perspective and wonder,” says the transportation and maritime lawyer at Meister Law in Miami. “On one hand, it inspires me to seek adventure and explore. On the other hand, it provides me with feelings of peace and wellbeing.” Starting as a youngster, she loved swimming and boating, then went on to “embrace any waterborne hobby”—sailing, surfing, …
Celebrating Bikers
Tim Miley rides with, and for, motorcyclistsTim Miley has something in common with a good chunk of his clients: a passion for riding motorcycles. For many years, the Clarksburg, West Virginia, personal injury attorney has represented injured bikers. “Riders are more than enthusiasts,” says Miley, of The Miley Legal Group. “They’re neighbors, families and veterans. They’re also some of the most generous people you’ll ever meet. Year after year, bikers quietly raise money for local causes, organize benefit rides, and support …
Circle of Love
How a childhood ring became a good luck charm to Michael CaligarisGrowing up in Cincinnati, Michael Caligaris remembers his late grandmother, Yaeko “Lillian” Hall, being a larger-than-life presence. Caligaris’ grandmother gets a kiss from her brother, Michael Hall. The 13th of 18 siblings, she was born in Hawaii to Japanese immigrants who owned a vegetable farm on Maui. She met Caligaris’ grandfather at a Navy USO dance, married him and moved to Ohio, where she worked as a seamstress and became the matriarch of a large, extended family. “Her …
Tale of Tails
Andrea Cozza’s dedication to animalsFor more than a decade, Andrea Cozza has helped make tails wag at the CHA (Citizens for Humane Action) Animal Shelter in Columbus—doing whatever needs doing. Currently, she is vice president of the organization’s board of directors, a member of its operations committee, and a volunteer in the cat adoption room. “Even small actions make a visible difference: an animal learning to trust again through volunteer interaction, a long-term cat finding a forever home, or simply tidying a …
Readin’, Writin’ and Rodeo
Staton Childers’ passions other than litigationLitigation isn’t Staton Childers’ only passion. Education, rodeo and barbecue are also high on the priority list. His involvement with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo lets him combine all four—while paying a past opportunity forward. “The HLSR state FFA scholarship gave me, a young kid from New Braunfels who raised pigs and lambs, the opportunity to go to college,” explains Childers, a partner at Adams and Reese in Houston, where he practices defense-side civil …
An Obsession in 3D
How my printing hobby took shape“It all started with a birthday gift—an Ender-3 printer, courtesy of my amazing office team. At the time, I thought, ’Cool! I can print little toys or something.’ Fast-forward two years, and now I have an entire workshop filled with 3D printers, filament spools, and a never-ending list of things I just have to print. Obsession? Maybe. But it’s a fun one. “From Day 1, 3D printing has been part of my office. I’ve used it to create custom holiday decor—why buy it when you can print …
Value of a Voice
How Sara Maleki expresses herself outside a courtroomSara Maleki was in middle school when she found her voice—her singing voice, that is. She went on to join choirs at her high school and college, performing at Carnegie Hall and other famed venues around the world, including the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Duomo Santa Maria Assunta in Pisa, Italy. “Music has been a lifelong passion and a source of connection and expression,” says Maleki, who’s now a soprano with the Spokane Symphony Chorale. “Music, like the law, has …
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