This episode was recorded LIVE at Stetson University College of Law as part of the school's landmark campus to career program! Special thanks to Stetson for inviting me to do this episode on their beautiful campus.
Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.
Today's guest is Howard Williams, an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the District of Florida. Before his current role, Howard served as a public defender in the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Florida and worked in private practice. He holds degrees from Northwood University and Stetson University College of Law.
In this episode, Howard shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:
🧠💼 How his pre-law background in business management, including managing UAW facilities and sports stadiums, helped him develop people management skills that serve him well as an attorney [3:13]
🔄⚖️ How transitioning from business (which is results-based) to law (where "the why matters") required a significant mental shift in his approach to problem-solving [4:00]
🤝🙏 How public defense is fundamentally about helping people through the worst situations of their lives, often when the deck is stacked against them [7:13]
🕵️♂️🔍 How federal cases differ from state cases because federal prosecutors typically build cases for months or years before making arrests, while state cases are often more reactionary [8:28]
🗣️👥 How his background helps him translate legal concepts into everyday language for his clients, making complex legal situations understandable [9:55]
🏥🔪 How state court work is like being an "ER doctor" (fast-paced triage) while federal court work is like being a "surgeon" (methodical, precise, and slower-paced) [14:20]
📝⚡ How depositions are a critical tool in state court practice that he misses in federal court, as they allow attorneys to lock in witness testimony and discover case weaknesses [18:29]
🔎⚖️ How facts are the foundation of legal practice, with juries ultimately deciding what the facts are based on witness testimony [23:04]
🛣️🔄 How career paths often involve unexpected turns, including jobs not received that ultimately proved beneficial for his professional development [25:12]
⏰👶 How balancing the demands of criminal defense work with personal life requires being fully present in whatever you're doing, whether work or family time [32:17]
🔍💯 How self-reflection and knowing what truly makes you happy is essential for long-term career satisfaction in the legal profession [35:01]
This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.