What is your favorite part of living in Sarasota? Jill Definitely beach walks with my mom. I love those so much. As much time as I can spend on the water by the beach is great. I also love being able to go on the boat with my dad, fish and be out on the water. My favorite part of being a lawyer here in Sarasota is that I have some of the most amazing female lawyer friends in town. They're so inspiring to me, but we also just have such a great time together.
What is your favorite local spot? My favorite happy hour has got to be Hyde Park. My favorite restaurant in town is probably Selva, just because it's so good. If I were to pick a treat restaurant, it would be Selva. My girlfriends and I love
going to State Street too.
Describe a typical day in your life. It's a lot of drafting, preparing motions and various pleadings. It's also a lot of court appearances. But also, I'm lucky enough to work at a great firm where no one bats an eye if I'm leaving before dinner time to go to yoga. I go in every day and I put a lot of effort into my work, so it’s nice to have a balance. Then I will go to yoga, or I'll walk the bridge or call my mom for a walk. There's always an existing list of things I could be doing more of, or could tackle today, instead of tomorrow, so I’m learning how to balance work and my personal life.
Did anything surprise you when you moved back to Sarasota? Oh my gosh, yes, it's so young. It's so much younger than when I was growing up here. There's a total influx of people that are my age who are coming here, wanting to invest in the community and set up life here, like me. It's really noticeable, and I'm excited to see this new group of young people come in and create a new Sarasota.
When you were a kid, you dreamed of . . . Admittedly, it probably wasn't being a lawyer. I've been a musician from a young age. But the thing is, I feel like I already got to enjoy that. I did scratch that itch, that dream of what it would be like to live in Nashville, sing in the evenings and use my voice every
day in that way. My dream was to
do something in music, and I did it and it was wonderful. Now I'm kind of in this next season of my life,
with new dreams.
What are you currently reading or looking forward to reading? The
Women by Kristin Hannah. One
of my other favorite books that I read in January was Mother Night, which is by Kurt Vonnegut.
What would you do with two more hours in each
day? The first thing that comes to mind is that I would take on as many pro bono cases as I possibly could.
I would also spend as much time with my family as possible, even
if it was just being in their presence and spending time with them.
If you could undo one
invention in the world, what would it be?It’s a tie between plastic bags and the “snooze” button (the snooze button is my worst enabler.)
Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button in your life? Pause. I’ve seen too many time-travel movies wherein changing the past rewrites the future in a not-so-good way. I like where I am now and the
direction my life continues to head, so what is there to go back and change? I would rather pause and appreciate the moments now.
Favorite family tradition? Polish Thanksgiving and Christmas meals at my grandparents’ house! My mom’s mom makes the best golumpki, pierogi and kielbasa. There are also lots of laughs, along with family members asking me many questions about my dating life.
What is one thing at the top of your bucket list? Finish hiking the Appalachian Trail—I’ve only been able to section-hike thus far between law school and work, but would love to do a longer stretch sometime in the next year. My dad taught me everything I know about thriving in the outdoors. I feel very fortunate to have learned those skills from him.
