Page 11 - Miami Vol 6 No 2
P. 11
AALM: When did you rst know you wanted to become a lawyer.
Foster-Morales: Probably about two years a er I graduated from law school. I really did not truly believe that I wanted tobealawyerorthatIwouldbeapar ticularly good lawyer, until a er I started practicing.
AALM: Do you have any mentors or pro fessors that encouraged you along the way? What is the best lesson they taught you.
Foster-Morales: Yes, I had some great mentors. When I was at the State Attorney’s O ce, Michael Band, the rst assistant, was my mentor and friend. When I began in pri vate practice as family lawyer, Marsha Elser, was my mentor and friend. e best lesson I learned from my mentors was to think criti cally, not to accept conventional wisdom and to prepare diligently.
AALM: What is the greatest lesson you learned in law school? How do you apply that to your career today?
Foster-Morales: The best lesson I learned was to live by the “spotlight theory.” is was a theory taught by my evidence professor. She said that when making any decision about evidence, you must always act as if a spotlight was on you and the judge was watching you and your actions and if you would be embarrassed by what the judge observed, then don’t do it (whatever “it” is).
I believe that is true of all aspects of law you should act as if the judge is watching. While my communications with my client are subject to attorneyclient privilege, I nd that the advice I give my clients in the pri vacy of my o ce, I would comfortably give to them in the presence of opposing counsel.
AALM: What experiences have taught you the most.
Foster-Morales: As a trial lawyer, the act of trying a case, is the act of learning. Tri als have always been my source of education and my greatest learning experiences. e courtroom is my living classroom.
Additionally, on an emotional level, I de veloped greater empathy for my clients, a er I attended an initial consultation for a di vorce for my best friend from college. Sitting on the “other” side of the desk and getting divorce advice on the client side taught me a lot about what my clients go through when they initially meet with me.
AALM: What do you nd particularly rewarding about your practice?
Foster-Morales: It is very rewarding to help my clients through their di cult transi tion from married to single life. It is always my goal to leave my clients in a better place than when I found them.
AALM: What do you nd particularly challenging about your practice? How do you overcome these challenges?
Foster-Morales: e parties in my cases are usually in a very di cult emo tional place, especially when the proceed ings commence. e emotions o en inhibit good decisionmaking by the parties. I like to address this issue headon and recom mend a therapist to help my client begin to heal and to be a better client, better able to make rational decisions in their divorce.
AALM: What traits do you think make an attorney exceptional? What the di er ence between a good attorney and an out standing one.
Foster-Morales: I think the ability to communicate complex issues in a simple commonsense manner is what makes an attorney exceptional.
AALM: How would you describe the culture at your rm?
Foster-Morales: Our rm operates as a team and a family. It is the thing I am most proud of, that the culture is one where we each have the other’s back. My partner and I have been close friends since law school which adds to the sense of family.
AALM: What case most de ned or re de ned your practice?
Foster-Morales: I cannot say that there is one case that de ned our practice (nor would I discuss the names of my cli ents given the personal nature of my prac tice). I believe that our rm is known for being caring and wellprepared lawyers that get good and fair results for our clients. As a result, there are many cases that I am proud of and that have given us that reputa tion in the community. We strive earn that reputation with every case and do not rest on our laurels
AALM: What accomplishments are you most proud of achieving?
Foster-Morales: I am simply proud of being a lawyer. I think it is an honorable profession that allows us to help people solve their problems. At each stage of my practice, I have been proud of di erent things ... trials, board certi cation, elec tion to the board of governors, building of the rm, etc.
AALM: What do you most hope to ac complish in the future? Where do you see yourself in ve years? 10 years?
Foster-Morales: I hope to be elected as president of the Florida Bar.
Since I just signed a sevenyear lease, I see myself in my o ce continuing to be a problem solver for my client.
Ten years? A little tougher, while I love the practice of family law, I’ve practiced so many di erent types of law having worked at the EPA, the State Attorney’s O ce, and as a family lawyer at my current rm, so in 10 years, maybe there is something else on horizon. If I continue to enjoy what I am doing, I will keep at it.
AALM: What events are you most look ing forward to in the coming year?
Foster-Morales: I am looking forward to working on mental health and wellness issues for the Florida Bar. I believe it is a re ally important issue which we need to ad dress for the bene t of all Florida lawyers.
Superstars 2017 Attorney at Law Magazine® South Florida | 11
At a Glance
Foster-Morales Sockel-Stone LLC
Museum Tower
150 West Flagler Street, Penthouse II Miami, FL 33130
(305) 5770090 fostermorales.com/wordpress/
Practice Areas
Marital and Family Law
Education
Juris Doctor, University of Florida 1989
Bachelor of Arts, University of Florida 1986
Admissions
Florida
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Honors
AVRated, Martindale Hubbell
Professional Memberships
e Florida Bar, Board of Governors e American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers
e International Academy of Family
Lawyers
Board Certi ed in Marital and Family
Law
