LAW SCHOOL TO CAREER: MY JOB AS PARTNER AT DAY PITNEY

 

1. 

   Mark A. Romance

   Name: Mark A. Romance

2. J.D./ LL.M/ Concentration/ Certificates: Juris Doctor
3. Graduation Year: 1994
4. Where do your work and what is your title? I am a partner in the Miami office of Day Pitney LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm with 300 lawyers in 13 offices from Miami to Boston. The firm includes strong corporate and litigation practices, with experience on behalf of large national and international corporations, as well as one of the largest and most sophisticated trusts, estate, and tax practices in the country, helping individuals and their families, fiduciaries and tax-exempt entities plan for the future.
5. Did you always know you would be pursuing this line of work? Yes, I am a trial and appellate lawyer and I handle complex business and civil litigation matters. From day 1 in law school, I knew this is what I wanted to do. And I have remained with the same law firm since I was a 2L summer associate at Floyd Pearson Richman Greer, which merged into Day Pitney in 2019.
6. What does a day at work look like? My days are usually the same – in the office by 8:00 a.m. and leave at 7:00 p.m. In between, I spend most of my day communicating with clients or colleagues developing case strategies, reviewing and revising draft documents, such as briefs or motions; going over factual documents and case law; and drafting lots of e-mails, mostly to clients about case status and strategy. I also often handle hearings and depositions.
7. What’s your favorite part about your job? Every day I am learning. I enjoy taking on cases with complex facts and legal issues. I look forward to developing a strategy to achieve success for the client. I also love finishing a well-written brief and then handling the oral argument on the issue.
8. What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them? The biggest challenge has been achieving high-quality legal work when balancing multiple projects at the same time.  I’ve overcome the challenge by learning how to prioritize work assignments and delegating work to my amazing litigation team.
9. How does your job connect back to your coursework and extracurricular activities at STU? Every day, I am evaluating rules of procedure, drafting or revising motions or briefs, and advocating for clients. So the two most important classes I had at St. Thomas were Civil Procedure with Professor Dan Gordon and Appellate Clinic with Professor Amy Ronner. Those two professors/classes taught me how to think critically and to advocate orally and in writing in an efficient and effective way.  Being on the St. Thomas Law Review helped me refine my attention to detail and my writing and editing skills.
10. What advice do you have for Bobcats that are interested in following in your career footsteps? Get as much writing experience as you can, as there is no substitute for having exceptional writing skills. Find ways to develop your editing skills and get experiences that require attention to detail. If possible, get on a law review where you are able to work on those skills.  Also, find opportunities to be an advocate, whether it is the trial team or moot court or another equivalent experience.  Those extracurricular activities will give you confidence and help you develop skills to be an excellent advocate in both written and oral forms.
11. Describe your job in a GIF? 
12. Anything you would like to add, that we did not cover?  One reason for my success is that I got involved and achieved leadership positions in organizations. At St. Thomas, I was a leader in the St. Thomas Law Review and on the Moot Court Board. Once I became a lawyer, I was involved in the Miami-Dade Bar Association as a member of the Young Lawyers Section Board of Directors. Then, I was elected to the statewide Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, where I eventually served as its president and on the Florida Bar Board of Governors. Now, I am serving in a leadership position in the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section as a Co-Chair of the Commercial and Business Litigation Committee. I dedicated myself to these organizations and several others and was able to reach leadership positions. These efforts allowed me to give back to the legal community and to develop a great network which led to a multitude of opportunities. Developing knowledge, skills, and relationships are the keys to success. I encourage you to strive to achieve all three.