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out how to be an aggressive, persevering advocate who can quickly sift issues and set priorities and fight for what counts most to the client on one hand, and – in short – not be the kind of person nobody can stand on the other. The best mentors teach this balance by example. There is more than a single way to get there, and one of the benefits of my career path was having the opportunity to observe and learn from several different styles.
AALM: How welcoming do you think the South Florida legal community is to women practitioners? How do you per- sonally try to help women following in your career path?
Waterway: I find the current South Florida legal community extremely wel- coming to women practitioners. In my experience, women practitioners also really support one another. I routinely brainstorm with other lawyers on legal issues and mentor young lawyers when they need advice. I try to model the pro- fessionalism I hope to see in other law- yers and find this particularly important when working with young lawyers. It is critical to their development, especially if they went out on their own right out of law school.
AALM: How are you involved in the legal community and the local commu- nity?
Waterway: I participate in local bar associations as much as possible and volunteer at my kids’ school. I am pas- sionate about child safety and human trafficking awareness and have been fortunate to be involved in some great projects. It started with a Leadership Broward community project with the Ju- nior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale, and now I am working with the Broward County Bar Association and Broward County Clerk of Courts on a Human Trafficking Summit.
AALM: What accomplishment are you most proud of achieving?
Waterway: My greatest accomplish- ment is running a law practice and be- ing an involved mom. It is extremely challenging but completely worth it. I get to spend quality time with my kids and teach them about hard work
and perseverance while maintaining a strong sense of self. It is pretty awe- some.
AALM: What case most defined or re- defined your practice?
Waterway: When I first starting practicing family law, I had a case where mom abused prescription narcotics and falsely alleged dad was abusing their son. We turned the case around and got dad full custody of the child with only super- vised visits for mom. It was eye opening at every phase from dealing with DCF to investigating doctor shopping and learning from the forensic psychologist who evaluated the parties and the child. It provided experience beyond measure and was the benchmark for handling the many more interesting and challenging cases that would follow.
AALM: What do you most hope to ac- complish in the future? Where do you see yourself in five years? In 10 years?
Waterway: My newest venture is me- diation and I hope to expand that prac- tice. My philosophy is to work toward the amicable resolution of disputes with the least amount of litigation possible, and mediation obviously is geared to- ward that objective. It is our job as pro- fessionals to guide clients in that direc- tion, and I enjoy that more than anything else. I also would love to teach law school someday.
AALM: What traits do you think make an attorney exceptional? What’s the dif- ference between a good attorney and an outstanding one?
Waterway: Exceptional attorneys know their case and the law and never compromise their integrity. They are cli- ent focused and never let earning a fee override what is in the client’s best in- terest. They are respectful to their col- leagues and lead by example. They are well spoken and not easily rattled, even in the most difficult of circumstances. They do not take things personally. They are compassionate but reasonable and always professional. Combine these and you have an exceptional attorney – one who has the confidence and trust of her client and the respect and goodwill of judges.
Jennifer Kane Waterway P.A.
401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 1400 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 332-2410 www.waterwaylaw.com
Practice Areas
Family Law Domestic Violence Dependency Mediation
Education
Juris Doctor, Nova Southeastern University, 2000
Bachelor of Science in Journalism, University of Florida, 1996
Professional Memberships
The Florida Bar Family Law Section Broward County Bar Association Broward County Women Lawyers
Association
Honors
AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell Award of Excellence, Human Traf cking Awareness, Junior League of Greater
Fort Lauderdale
At a Glance
Aram Hovsepian Photography