Attorney at Law mini preview Upstate New York March/April 2012 : Page 3
ing a lawyer until her senior year at State University of New York at Geneseo, where she studied psychology and special education. As she got closer to graduation, she worried that her temperament wasn’t well suited for her planned career as a teacher. Callahan discussed her concerns with a professor, who suggested that the field of law might be a better fit. She enrolled in Albany Law School at Union University and immediately fell in love with both the school and the city, spending the next three years studying law and working at the law school library and as a legal writing instructor. Following her graduation, Callahan clerked for a judge in Syracuse who eventually led her to Hancock Estabrook and a rewarding ca-reer in private practice. “When it came time for me to move on, the judge had a connection here at the firm and set up an interview for me,” Callahan said. “Luckily they liked me well enough to give me a chance, and before long, I knew I had found a place where I would be happy. I love my work, and I love the people I work with. I have been truly blessed to be able to craft a practice I find satisfying and rewarding after all these years.” She credits the people at Hancock Estabrook as a source of inspiration and professional fulfillment. “I work with a fabulous bunch of talented, energetic and ex-tremely bright people,” Callahan said. “It’s still a real pleasure for me to get up in the morning and come to the office.” Callahan looks back fondly on her early days at the firm, when she worked closely with her mentor Donald McCa-rthy, who passed away last year. McCarthy was well known as a skilled trial attorney and Callahan became his right-hand woman, learning invaluable lessons along the way about the practical aspects of law and how to treat other people. “One thing I learned from him and other senior attorneys at the firm is that you can be as adversarial as you need to be in the courtroom, but when you leave the courtroom at the end of the day, you need to have a good relationship with your adversar-ies,” Callahan remembers. “I try to make sure that we pass that message on to the younger attorneys here at the firm.” firm are strongly encouraged to become active in the commu-nity, including providing free legal services to people in need. Many attorneys at the firm are involved in the Onondaga County Volunteer Lawyers Program. Callahan also organized the firm’s first Volunteer Day, recruiting nearly 100 Hancock Estabrook employees to provide services to ten local organi-zations, including the Central New York Ronald McDonald House, Rescue Mission and the Humane Society. The firm sends lawyers to landlord/tenant court on a reg-ular basis to represent low income residents facing eviction proceedings. Attorneys also act as arbitrators, presiding over small claims cases to help relieve an overburdened court sys-tem. One of Callahan’s partners was recently honored for his efforts in organizing a program to provide free legal services to returning vets who have trouble transitioning back into society. Keeping a Focus on Community As managing partner, Callahan has made one of her per-sonal and professional goals to continue the firm’s tradition of pro bono work and community service. All attorneys at the March/April 2012 Attorney at Law Magazine® Upstate New York | 17
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