Carr swings for the fences in court

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David Carr’s law career came out of left field.

The left fields of Butler University and Miller Park, to be exact.

Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds out of high school, Carr, now 31, went on to play college ball as a leftfielder at Butler University. There, he saw older teammates taking their LSATs, which piqued his interest in pursuing a proud family tradition in law led by his father, Brad.

After a shoulder injury and subsequent surgeries rubbed out his junior year on the field, Carr sought career advice from an old family friend: Ulice Payne, a well-known area lawyer and, at the time, the president of the Milwaukee Brewers.

“The main thing that stuck with me in listening to Ulice was that a law degree gave you options,” Carr said.

After concluding his studies at Marquette University Law School, Carr landed an associate attorney position at Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP, focusing on premises and product liability, auto defense and construction law.

To hear him recap his successful defense case from his first trial, some of that excitement from the baseball diamond has carried over into his professional life.

“The adrenaline was pumping the whole time, the feeling of getting in front of the jury, in front of the judge, and presenting your case, was definitely exhilarating,” Carr said. “I remember being done with it — I won — and thinking, when I was driving home, ‘Let’s do it again.’”

— Justin Kern

What is the single best part about being an attorney?

It’s always changing; it’s never the same set of facts with an issue your clients present to you.

What was your worst course in law school?

Criminal law, without question

If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what do you think you would have chosen as a career path?

A job in sports, probably something front office

What is your greatest extravagance?

I guess my first thought would be Air Jordan basketball shoes, but I don’t want to sound like I’m 16 years old (laughs).

What’s your favorite thing to do in Wisconsin?

(Milwaukee) Bucks games. People in Milwaukee don’t realize how valuable having another professional franchise here is.

What is your greatest fear?

Professionally, it would be missing deadlines

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Not to worry so much

Which living person do you most admire?

Probably Bill Russell

What would you say if your children were interested in becoming lawyers?

I definitely want to pass my interest in it along to them. I wouldn’t push it on them; it wasn’t pushed on me. But I would definitely say ‘Go for it.’