Brooklyn, N.Y. native Jonathan Paul attended The University of Michigan Law School, where he met his wife, who now works for Google in Ann Arbor.
Prior to entering private practice, Paul worked as a prosecutor in New York City and in Oakland County Michigan. He was recently seleected by Super Lawyers magazine as a “Rising Star” for his work in family and criminal law. He is an associate with Kelly & Kelly, P.C. in Northville.
By Jo Mathis
Legal News
Residence: Ann Arbor.
Currently reading …“Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights” by Gary Klein.
My mother always told me …“Things happen for a reason”
What is your most treasured material possession? Michigan football and basketball season tickets.
What advice do you have for someone considering law school? Don’t go to law school with the goal of making a lot of money. There’s better and less risky ways to make a great living. Unless you’re accepted to a top law school, or go to law school in the same region you want to practice, it’s a bad investment of your time and money.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be? I consider myself an entrepreneur first, and a lawyer second. I will always be an entrepreneur, because you’re not worth a dime as a lawyer if you can’t attract clients who need your help.
Favorite local hangouts: Crisler Arena, Gandy Dancer, Law Quad and Café Zola.
Your proudest moment(s) as a lawyer? Finalizing divorces for some wonderful family law clients and telling criminal clients that their case has been dismissed or will not be prosecuted due to my hard work.
What is your happiest childhood memory? Playing sports on the weekends and hanging out with my dad at the firehouse (he was a NYC Firefighter for 20 plus years)
What would surprise people about your job? How much I enjoy going to court. I enjoy interacting with the court staff, the judges and my fellow attorneys.
What’s your greatest achievement? Working as a prosecutor for a number of years after graduating law school. I think it’s the best place for a recent graduate to start their career. You’re literally dropped into busy courtrooms with hundreds of files and high stakes. And you’re doing battle with experienced defense attorneys and demanding judges. If you can survive that for a few years, you can do anything in the legal field or corporate America.
At Thanksgiving dinner, would you rather talk politics, religion or the weather? I would be talking about football, some NFL, but mostly Michigan and “Ohio” either from the past weekend, or the upcoming weekend.
Favorite movie: “Top Gun” and “Major League.”
What would you say to your 16-year-old self? Don’t stress the small things, just make sure you take care of the important things, and you’ll get to where you belong in life.
What one thing do you wish people knew about your work? That I’m having a really good time helping people with their cases, because I put them in a better position than they were when they arrived at my office. That gives me great satisfaction.
Must-see TV: “The Newsroom,” Michigan athletics, “Mad Men” and “Modern Family.”
What’s one thing you would like to learn to do? I would like to learn how to computer code/program, so I could create better and more advanced websites.
If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? Brady Hoke, George Steinbrenner and my wife.
Who is your favorite character of fiction? Any character played by Kevin Costner
First gig: Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York.
What’s the best advice you ever received? Keep your eye on the ball.
What place won’t you return if you can help it? Columbus, Ohio.
What do you drive? What would you drive if money were no object? Jeep Cherokee. If money were no object, I would just add every feature, and get a new one every year.
Favorite law-related movie: “A Few Good Men.”
Favorite place to spend money: Allen Edmonds and The M-Den.
What is your motto? “Just get comfortable with the absolute worst thing that can happen. Then you have nothing to worry about.”
Brooklyn, N.Y. native Jonathan Paul attended The University of Michigan Law School, where he met his wife, who now works for Google in Ann Arbor.
Prior to entering private practice, Paul worked as a prosecutor in New York City and in Oakland County Michigan. He was recently selected by Super Lawyers magazine as a “Rising Star” for his work in family and criminal law. He is an associate with Kelly & Kelly, P.C. in Northville.
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