Monday Profile: Joel T. Finnell

Joel T. Finnell is an appellate lawyer with the Sinas Dramis Law Firm.

He concentrates his practice on appellate matters, focusing on personal injury, auto accident, motorcycle accident, semi-truck accident, and wrongful death claims, to name a few.

He is a member of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ), Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (CPAN), Ingham County Bar Association, State Bar of Michigan, and American Bar Association.

Being an appellate lawyer, being able to shape the law while helping people is one of the many reasons he enjoys his work.

Finnell earned his undergrad degree from?Eastern Michigan University and his law degree from Cooley Law School.

He is husband to his wife, Emily, and a father to his daughter, Sydney.

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News

Residence: Howell

What is your most treasured material possession? My collection of vintage and new guitars.

What advice do you have for someone considering law school?
Take the time to understand what it really means to be a lawyer.

Favorite app:
Slacker Radio.

What is your happiest childhood memory? Getting my first car.

What would surprise people about your job?
The amount of time it requires.

What has been your favorite year so far? 1996.

Why did you become a lawyer? Going to law school appealed to me more than going to business school.

If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would that be? My nine year-old daughter. Being able to see the world through the eyes of a child for a day would be priceless.

If you could have one super power, what would it be?
Mental telepathy.

What would you say to your 16-year-old self?
“Get a haircut.”

What’s your proudest moment as a lawyer?
Being sworn in to the practice of law.

What do you do to relax?
Spend time with my family, play golf, and occasionally play in a rock band.

How would you describe your home?
Welcoming.

If you were starting all over again and couldn’t go into law, what career path would you choose?
A career in teaching.

What’s one thing you would like to learn to do? Sail the Great Lakes.

What is something most people don’t know about you?
That before becoming a lawyer, I was a construction management professional for nearly a decade.

What’s the best advice you ever received?
Take time to stop and smell the roses.

What would you drive if money were no object? A fully-restored 1969 Chevy Camaro.

Favorite place to spend money:
A good steak house.

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