Who are you, and what do you do?
My name is Lindsey Zimick and I am a family law attorney.
What has been one insight or lesson that has been most helpful in your career?
One important insight or lesson that has been helpful in my career is that working hard and being prepared always pays off.
What has been your favorite mistake? A mistake that in retrospect led to a great lesson and progress.
My favorite mistake was assuming I knew something I did not. Now, I make sure to ask questions and always run things by my partners and co-workers.
Project forward ten years. How will your industry or field be fundamentally different then? What opportunities do you see?
People tend to marry later in life. To me, that means issues involving older, retired clients (i.e., Social Security) will be more relevant to and prominent in my practice. I see this as an opportunity to learn more about the issues people face later in life and a way to expand the group of individuals I collaborate with as part of my practice.
What are some bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?
I tend to think that recommendations that lead people down the path of litigation are not helpful. Particularly with family law, I think it is important to keep people personally involved (invested) in the outcome(s). As long as communications are safe and productive, I think parties should talk. I think it is a bad recommendation for any/all communications to occur through attorneys.
In the last two years, what have you become better at saying no to?
I have become better at saying no to unrealistic deadlines. Particularly in the wake of the pandemic, and the shifts in how/when/where I am working, I have learned to be more generous with the time I give myself to complete tasks.
What is the one book you recommend most often and why?
Anything by Augusten Burroughs. I love his writing style and many of his books are compilations of short stories, which I think are particularly easy to pick up and put down without forgetting too much about the story.
What advice would you give a smart and ambitious recent college graduate? What advice should they ignore?
I would tell a smart and ambitious recent graduate to work hard to find balance in their life. Traditionally, working hard while you are young can (or will) mean you can slow down when other things come up in life – such as marriage and family. Advice about not having a pet should be ignored because I think, even when you are young and carefree, I think pets can be very good for your mental health.
What is your favorite quote, one you aim to live by?
“Most things I worry about never happen anyway.”