About Ross Pfund
Ross Pfund is the managing editor of Super Lawyers. He is the editor of the Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, Louisiana and Southwest magazines. An award-winning editor and writer with more than 20 years of experience, he has a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota. His work has also appeared in the Star Tribune and the Norman County Index. As a child, he knew he was cut out for a career in journalism because he never once stuck his hand into his father’s printing press.
Articles written by Ross Pfund
Under the Microscope
How Serial helped C. Justin Brown’s case for Adnan Syed—and how it opened his every legal move to scrutinyAs a reporter in the 1990s, C. Justin Brown filed stories as a war correspondent in Kosovo and as a national security correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. He was published in The New York Times and Newsweek, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. But he penned what might be one of his most-read pieces in June 2015, long after he traded in his journalism bona fides for a law license. It was a motion to reopen post-conviction proceedings, written on behalf of a client found guilty of …
J.D., JD
James “J.D.” Smeallie of Holland & Knight in Boston speaks out on athletic conference realignment litigation, leading the Boston Bar and being quoted in Sports IllustratedQ: J.D. is a pretty appropriate nickname for an attorney. Have you always gone by that? A: I’ve gotten that before. I’ve been called “J.D.” since I was born. I have the same name as my grandfather. He went by Donald, which is the middle name. They didn’t want to stick me with Donald, so they just started calling me “J.D.” right off the bat. Q: Was the law always your plan? A: Coming out of Yale, I was actually interested in journalism, but I had a role model in my uncle, …
From the Uneven Parallel Bars to the Bar
Anne Schiavone of Holman Schiavone on employment law, working with kids and the study habits she developed as a competitive gymnastQ: You’ve spent your entire legal career in Kansas City. Did you grow up in the area? A: I didn’t. My dad was in the Coast Guard, so we would move every two to four years or so. He was a Coast Guard lawyer and with the Maritime Administration and Veterans Administration. He never brought his work home with him, so I really didn’t know what it was like to be a lawyer—it wasn’t like I was raised in a generational family of lawyers. Q: But what did your dad think when you told him …
The Benefits of Raising Your Hand
Scott A. Wolfson of Wolfson Bolton in Troy on bittersweet boom times and how a bankruptcy lawyer wound up trying a freedom of religion caseQ: What was your first move out of law school? A: I’m originally from a really small town up on the upper peninsula of Michigan called Ishpeming. I was the first person in my family to go to college. I wanted to get back up there and I wanted to work in the community, in government or in politics, to try to help it out. I had no intention of practicing law. I just thought a law degree would be something beneficial or helpful for what I planned to do. But I practiced for two years and I guess …
Turning the Page
A few months before retiring from the state Supreme Court, Justice Alan Page sat down with us to look back at his judicial careerQ: What do you think you will miss the most after you leave the court? A: The most? All of it. The work that the court does is fascinating, challenging and I love every bit of it. Not being a part of it will be a bit of a loss. Q: What qualities does it take to be successful as a justice? A: Hard work, obviously. Intellectual curiosity; openness to hearing what the parties have to say. Being able to exercise your judgment and working very hard not to simply impose your will. Being able …
Beyond the Front Page
Civil litigator David A. Strassburger of Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky in Pittsburgh on media law, courtroom surprises and moving past yellow legal padsQ: You’re part of a long family tradition in law. A: This law firm was founded in 1919 by my great-great grandfather. My grandfather practiced here, my father practiced here for a short period of time, my uncle has practiced here for, oh my goodness, over 30 years. And I’ve been here for almost 20 years. Q: Did you always know that you wanted to continue the tradition? A: Actually, I wanted to be a professional golfer, but my putting stinks. Q: The short game will always get …
Hanging on the Telephone
Lorena Olmos, of Modrall Sperling in Albuquerque, on taking cold calls from employment law clients, tailoring her courtroom strategy and getting in on the crazyQ: When did you become interested in the law? A: In December of 1999. And I attribute it to divine inspiration. I was at the end of my first semester in my master’s program and I had been praying for what I was going to do as a profession with a master’s in Latin American studies. And then the answer came to me. I thought, “I have to apply to law school.” And so I did, and very promptly got into law school and did a dual-degree program. Q: And you knew you had made the right …
My Case, I Rest
Litigator Steve Farrar of Smith Moore Leatherwood in Greenville speaks about his background in accounting, finding humor in the courtroom, and why his grandkids call him YodaQ: When I was looking up your website, I came across the other Steve Farrar. A: The Promise Keepers writer. Q: Have you ever been mistaken for him? A: No, I haven’t. But it’s funny; everybody Googles their own name occasionally. I tell people, “You’ve got to go about 65,000 pages down on Google to get to me.” It’s ridiculous. Q: Given your success, that’s a bit surprising. A: If you put my full name, Steven E., in there, you’ll get to me quicker. But yeah, I start …
Known Unknowns
Andy Hull of Hoover Hull Turner on finding antique radios, empathizing with professional liability clients and overcoming early-career jittersQ: How did you develop your motor sports law niche? A: We started by litigating matters both for a racing series and an IndyCar team. And over time we've developed a knowledge and expertise of the racing industry that led to our representing a number of drivers, including Dario Franchitti and Dan Wheldon. We represent open-wheel series race promoters and track owners. It's an area that remains very much a niche for us but it's one that we enjoy very much. Q: Is there anything that …
If the Robe Fits
Lynn Luker returned to her business litigation and civil litigation defense practice in January after a six-month appointment to the Orleans Parish Civil District Court. We spoke with her in the middle of her judicial stintQ: How does one end up being appointed to this position? A: It is a decision that’s made at the Louisiana Supreme Court level. I’m pretty amazed that I ended up receiving this appointment because they come up very, very infrequently, and there’s a lot of competition, as you might imagine. It’s a pretty spectacular gift to have this opportunity. I think that I was considered because I’m generally, I think, considered to be a hard worker. I have practiced law now for 33 years. I …
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