Erin Mash, owner of Mash Law, PLLC., is a family law and criminal defense attorney in Ann Arbor.
She graduated from the University of Toledo-College of Law in 2011 and Columbia College Chicago in 2006. While in law school, she was an intern clerk for Judge James G. Carr of the United States Court for the Northern District of Ohio and was actively involved in the William C. Vis Moot Court competition. Prior to attending law school, she worked as a photojournalist in Michigan and Chicago.
Mash is the co-chair of the New Lawyer’s Section and a board member of the Washtenaw County Bar Association.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and significant other, walking her two yorkies, swimming and spending as much time as possible on the Great Lakes, and rooting for the Tigers.
By Jo Mathis
Legal News
Residence: Pittsfield Township.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being on the beach, feet in the sand, looking at clear blue water with the ones I love.
What is your greatest fear? Failure.
Which living person do you most admire? My parents. They continue to inspire me every day.
What is the trait you hate most in yourself? Stubbornness.
What is the trait you hate most in others? Being close-minded and the inability to be empathetic of people in less fortunate situations.
If you suddenly had an extra room in your house, what would you do with it? I would turn the entire room into a closet and vanity.
Currently reading: The “Hunger Games” series. (Don’t judge!)
How do you feel at 8 a.m. on Mondays? Half asleep. I am not a morning person.
My mother always told me: Do what you love, and the money will come.
My favorite item of clothing: My chocolate brown leather bomber jacket. It is so versatile.
What words or phrases do you overuse? “Hurt people do hurtful things.”
What was your most memorable meal? My dad and I visited the Balkans region, and while taking a train through Croatia we stopped at a seafood restaurant in Zagreb. It was the best seafood I have ever had and the entire meal cost less than 20 American dollars.
What is your most treasured material possession? Old family photographs, my collection of street art from every foreign country I have visited.
If you could do one thing professionally … play the piano
Why did you go into law? I became fascinated with the profession of law while working as a newspaper photojournalist, and covering the court beat. My future in journalism was uncertain, so I enrolled in law school.
What advice do you have for someone considering law school?
Make sure you go into the practice for the right reasons. If you don’t love it, you won’t be happy doing it.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be? I would still be a photojournalist.
What are your favorite websites? Freep.com, pinterest and various online shopping sites.
If you could have any car in the world, what would you drive? A convertible Jeep Wrangler.
Favorite local hangouts: Prickly Pear, Jolly Pumpkin Café & Brewery, Ali Baba, the Ann Arbor YMCA, and the Arb.
What was your most embarrassing moment? There are too many to name, and many involve a wardrobe malfunction.
Your proudest moment(s) as a lawyer? Succeeding at starting my own practice.
What would surprise people about your job? How little time I actually spend in court.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Over-confidence. I think many would benefit from a healthy dose of humility.
When and where were you happiest?? 2013. It was a good year, both professionally and personally; one for the books!
What’s your greatest achievement? Starting my own business. It was the scariest thing I have ever done, and it has turned out to be the most rewarding.
What would you say to your 16-year-old self? Listen to your mother. She actually knows what she is talking about.
Do you have spiritual beliefs? Yes, I am a Christian.
What would be your ideal job? The one I have. Or an international hotel critic.
What one habit do you wish you could break? Hitting the snooze button at least five times before I actually get up.
What is something most people don’t know about you? In 2005, while working as a photojournalist for my college newspaper, “The Columbia Chronicle,” I had the opportunity to photograph a young Illinois state senator. There were only eight of us, and we had an hour to spend with him. His name was Barack Obama.
What do you wish more people understood? Humility.
If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? Jesus, Bill Cosby and Ernest Hemingway.
Who is your favorite character of fiction? Holden Caufield.
What do you wish grew on trees? Money.
Favorite words: “Gregarious” and “Facetious.”
Favorite movies: “Good Will Hunting” and “Forest Gump.”
Favorite place to spend money: Anthropologie, Home Goods, Trader Joes.
What is your motto?? “Choose to be happy.”
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