JoAl Cannon Sheridan, family lawyer and founder of Sheridan Family Law in Austin, joins us on today's show! JoAl talks about growing up with a lawyer father, the latest in family law, and balancing confidence with humility.

Her firm/practice

She is originally from Mexia, TX, which is perhaps known best by a joke that went "viral" decades ago:
This older couple was driving East on 84 out of Waco, and kept seeing the signs for Mexia. Being that they were old and married and argued about everything, they got into an argument about how to properly pronounce "Mexia."As they pulled into town they decided they needed to settle the debate once an for all. They immediately saw the sign for Dairy Queen and pulled into the parking lot. They walked up to the counter where a bright-eyed young high school girl was manning the register, and they asked, "How do you say the name of this place?"The girl got a confused look and said back very slowly... "DAI-RY QUEEN."
Joe Cannon is her dad and a well known lawyer who just retired
Cowrote the Texas desegregation bill in the 1960s
She would go to his office all the time as a kid, and always knew she wanted to be a lawyer
After years at a couple of other firms, started her own firm
Niche areas
Third-party custody
International/jurisdictional
Drawn to family law because it is a calling and a ministry
Dealing with great people at the saddest points in their life
Takes a certain personality and calling
She also has a love for animals and thought about becoming a veterinarian (but didn't have the stomach for it!)
Family law update
The pandemic
People who are forced into house arrest for 15 months either brings you closer or pushes people apart
Has caused family law practice to be very busy
Supreme Court did the right thing by ordering parents to honor custody arrangements and not use COVID as an excuse to ignore them
New rule as of 1/1/21 - Mandatory disclosures due 30 days after an answer is due
Lawyers believe they are the better judges of their lawsuits
Not every case needs full blown discovery
Rule 11 agreements to defer that are very common
Two new Supreme Court decisions
In re CJC (2020)
Lots of ways to have standing as a non-parent, but two main ones (you had actual care/possession in the past six months OR you are family and the child's health is at issue)
Overturned In re: VLK (2000) which said there was no parental presumption in a modification (so this was a best interest of the child test)
So now there is a parental presumption
In re H?? (2019)
For the six month rule, how do you define care/possession?
Excludes daycare workers, etc.
If you were making day-to-day decisions for the child, feeding them, taking them to the doctor
This is a standing question; doesn't mean they will get custody, but gives them their day in court
Practicing during COVID (as of 6/30/21)
Challenging and just not the same versus being in the same room with people
Various courts are opening up at different paces depending on your county
Travis County on 9/1
Rural counties have already opened up
Live bench conferences / administrative hearings / uncontested dockets etc. will likely continue by virtual/video stream depending on the judge/jurisdiction

Advice to lawyers in practice

Respect your elders
Don't get overly aggressive trying to prove yourself; give deference to a more experienced attorney
Civility is important
Understand the big picture and the lay of the land
Show good judgment and maturity
Admit that you don't 100% understand what you are doing
Share what you are thinking and ask another attorney what they think
Don't get into the mud with your clients
This can be very difficult
Recognize it doesn't help you be a better lawyer/advocate for your client when you do this
Find a good mentor
takes the time to show you the ropes
Be realistic with your clients, and don't let them dictate how you work the case
Your reputation with judges is on the line, and if you aren't reasonable with requests or haven't made a reasonable effort to settle the case, it will impact your ability to help clients when you do have to be in the courtroom

Advice to lawyers on the lateral market

Firms may need different roles/experiences at different times, so know what they are looking for
Communicate to employers why you want to do what you do
Integrity matters
Dress appropriately for all interviews
Bring your A game
Confident plus humble
fine line between promoting yourself (which you have to do in an interview) and not being arrogant
Be eager to do well and make a difference
Chemistry/fit with the firm
Know your audience and do your research, but don't go overboard with personal research
Why do you want to work here?

Final Thoughts

Give service back to the profession
Bar work
Pro Bono
It is important and makes your work more fulfilling
Another way to pursue work/life balance

Rapid Fire Questions

Name one trait/characteristic you most want to see in an associate: loyalty
What habit has been key to your success: To-do lists
Favorite app/productivity tool: Clio
What would be listed first on the interest line of your resume: scuba diving
Favorite legal movie: To Kill A Mockingbird (podcast)/ Legally Blonde (podcast)

Thanks again to JoAl Cannon Sheridan for joining us on today's show!