Page 10 - Palm Beach Vol 7 No 1

Superstar
Michael E. Dutko Jr.
A Noble Profession
AALM: When did you rst know you wanted to become an attorney? What drew you to this career?
Dutko: I grew up in an “attorney” house- hold – my dad’s an attorney, and my mom’s a retired court reporter. In fact, a better way to say it would be that I grew up around the courthouse. To this day, I still see judges, clerks and deputies that I’ve known since I was a kid. I learned quickly that being an attorney can be a noble and essential profession, and, maybe more importantly, I learned that it was something I wanted to do. From there, I focused my studies on law and debate, applied to and enrolled in law school, clerked at a governmental re- lations and commercial litigations rm in Tallahassee during law school, and worked hard to learn as much as I could.
AALM: Do you have any mentors or pro- fessors that encouraged you along the way? What is the best lesson they taught you?
Dutko: I’d have to say that my career has been most in uenced by my dad, Michael Dutko Sr., and my boss, Bill Scherer – re- ally, in very similar ways. ey both have done it all in South Florida – big cases, high-pro le clients, major trials. Even with all of that, the cases that get them the most excited are not always about the bot- tom line. Challenging the disenfranchise- ment of an entire population of voters in Broward County. Fighting for homeless rights. Lo y goals that are less about gen- erating revenue than about making sure people’s rights are protected. ey have
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both taught me to stay grounded through success.
AALM: What was the greatest lesson you learned in law school? How do you apply that to your career today?
Dutko: Do well, and do good. at’s not poor grammar. Do well, and do good, which are not mutually exclusive goals. I learned many important lessons in law school, but that really sums up what my ex- perience has taught me is the most impor- tant aspect of our profession. Work hard and do well, and never forget that as attor- neys we have a tremendous capacity to do good for our communities. It can be easy to get caught up in the glitz of big numbers and big verdicts. While that sort of success at high levels is obviously attractive for any attorney, at the same time remember to stay humble and try to do right by others who also need our representation.
AALM: What experiences have taught you the most?
Dutko: While at the State Attorney’s Of- ce in Palm Beach County, I was assigned to the public corruption task force, lead- ing a team of investigators from various police agencies throughout the county, and prosecuting cases of complex crimes committed by public employees, po- lice o cers and elected o cials. None of those cases was simple, and most re- quired a commitment to detail and a level of patience that I had, to that point, never experienced. at time, working with a terri c team of people and overseeing important cases of public trust, really became a driving force in the way that I approach every day of my practice. Not every case or issue or argument is going to be easy, and sometimes you might not come out on the winning side. But our
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