Discovery with Ramit Mizrahi
The meticulously prepared Ramit Mizrahi once confronted her own identity thief in court
Published in 2017 Southern California Rising Stars — July 2017
I can’t go a day without … black tea with milk and sugar, a habit I picked up during my year in London.
If you were in my office, you’d … notice the art on the walls, including an original Dali etching (an incredible gift from two of my favorite clients), a couple of my own paintings (I dabbled in college), and a framed flyer for an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood titled “When Parents Go to Work” (a birthday gift from my husband).
The quality I most like in a lawyer is … collegiality. The best lawyers are consummate professionals who win on the merits.
My pre-trial routine is … meticulous preparation. A mentor once told me that we can’t control what the judge, the jury, the witnesses or opposing counsel will do; all we can control is how hard we work.
My career high point (so far) has been … getting a seven-figure arbitration award for two very deserving clients in an employment case I handled from intake to conclusion.
If I weren’t a lawyer, I’d be … a research psychologist. In college, I was fascinated by the experiments of Stanley Milgram (obedience to authority), Philip Zimbardo (Stanford prison experiment) and Solomon Asch (conformity).
The SCOTUS justice I’d most like to meet is … Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
My courtroom walk-up music would be ... “Rip It Up (And Start Again)” by Orange Juice.
A different practice area that intrigues me is … criminal law—more trials, less discovery.
My hero is … Fred Rogers, who exuded pure goodness. Also, all of the Righteous Among the Nations, who selflessly risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination.
On weekends I … can be found at the Huntington Library and Gardens, the Los Angeles Zoo, and the California Science Center—my 4-year-old’s favorite places.
My most bizarre talent is … I am a gifted Nutella-maker.
The talent I wish I had is … a photographic memory. Or even a really solid one. Sometimes I joke that I am all processor and no hard drive.
The three people I’d invite to dinner are … Oscar Wilde, American WWII spy Virginia Hall and the Dalai Lama.
I wish I had invented … Amazon.com.
The last TV show I binge-watched was … Game of Thrones. I resisted watching for ages.
Nothing cheers me up like … the smiling selfie of the crested black macaque from 2011 (orchestrated by nature photographer David Slater).
The most annoying thing about my job is … discovery disputes.
The craziest thing I witnessed in a courtroom is … a man who stole my identity and very briefly practiced law under my name and bar number. I caught him in the act—tipped off by his opposing counsel. When I announced myself, his jaw almost hit the floor.
