Attorney Spotlight
| Publication year | 2020 |
| Pages | 0048 |
| Citation | Vol. 25 No. 6 Pg. 0048 |
A Conversation with Steve Berry
In this installment of the Georgia Lawyer Spotlight, Editorial Board Member Jacob E. Daly interviews attorney and best-selling author Steve Berry.
BY JACOB E. DALY
Steve Berry, at his home in St. Augustine, Florida, with a Tal-Lira, a traditional Maltese clock that he commissioned from a local clockmaker, whose family has been making these clocks since the 18th century. It is one of many items decorating Berry's home that relate to the subjects of his books.
What was your experience at Mercer law school like?
Law school was life-changing. I went in with perfect vision and came out wearing glasses. I was single as a freshman, married with a child by the third year. I was also part of the first class to occupy the school's new building (a replica of Independence Hall) up on the hill above Macon. Back then, law school taught you all about how to think, but almost nothing about how to actually apply that thinking in the real world. Trial practice classes were then only in their infancy. So I graduated law school knowing next to nothing about how to practice law. Less than 60 days later I was standing before a judge, picking a jury. Needless to say, that was quite an education.
What type of practice did you have as a lawyer?
I practiced in a small town, a street lawyer, handling pretty much whatever came through the door. The only exceptions were workers comp and bankruptcy. I never did either. I stayed in court several days each week. Over 30 years I handled thousands of divorces, countless criminal defendants, personal injury and every kind of civil litigation imaginable. But I also did the everyday stuff. Wills, corporations, real estate closings, adoptions, landlord/tenant. Anything and everything folks needed.
Ninety-five percent of the fees were by the job, not the hour. Small fees. But they added up with volume. "A lot of a little, instead of a little of a lot," was how I used to put it.
Why did you get into politics? How did you like life as an elected official?
Public service always intrigued me. So, in 1988, I ran for the local school board and won. I served four years then gave the seat up. In 2000, I ran for the county commission and won, serving until 2010 when I resigned before moving from Georgia to Florida. I enjoyed being a county commissioner. I miss it. You can make a difference in your community from a position like that. I encourage everyone to dedicate themselves to some sort of public service.
When...
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