Loehner seeks new challenges

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While some people are content working on autopilot, Michele Loehner wants to be challenged.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and realizing her degree in agriculture was not what she had hoped for, Loehner said, she began looking for something more exciting. She saw an ad for a paralegal school that piqued her interest, she said, so she quit her job and went for it, working as an errand runner and photocopier to get law firm experience.

Now Loehner is a lead medical prosthetic device paralegal at Habush, Habush & Rottier. She said she learned the casework from the ground up, and the experience has pushed her career into areas she never envisioned.

“Getting out of my comfort zone and coordinating a team effort in an area I was just learning about myself created some stressful moments,” Loehner said. “However, the experience has been very rewarding and taught me many lessons.”

Aside from her paralegal work, Loehner also is active in the firm’s community outreach and safety programs, including a bike helmet program for children in need. During the past 10 years, the firm has donated more than 100,000 bike helmets.

Loehner also is trained and certified in proper child care seat “fit checks,” in which she leads staff members who provide proper fittings for parents.

As her career progresses, Loehner said, she wants to continue learning about the prosthetic device field, but she isn’t afraid to accept new challenges.

“I feel I am at a high point in my career, yet still have many years left before retirement,” Loehner said. “I am looking forward to the next disruption of my comfort zone.”