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Practicing law predetermined for Crooks

By: TONY ANDERSON//July 6, 2012//

Practicing law predetermined for Crooks

By: TONY ANDERSON//July 6, 2012//

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Michael Crooks (Staff photo by Kevin Harnack)

Ask Michael Crooks what he would have done if he had not been a lawyer and you may find him at a loss for words.

Crooks, who has practiced civil litigation for 22 years, said practicing law is the only thing he seriously considered.

He acknowledged being influenced by watching his father, state Supreme Court Justice N. Patrick Crooks, throughout the years. As a boy, Cooks recalled going to his dad’s law office on Saturdays, following his dad’s cases in the newspaper and actually watching his dad in court. He watched as his father moved from practicing law to serving on the circuit court bench, and eventually the state’s highest court.

“It was an interest that I developed by osmosis, I think,” said Crooks, who heads up the Madison office of Peterson, Johnson & Murray SC.

However it happened, the younger Crooks has found his niche practicing civil litigation, including insurance litigation, medical malpractice, products liability and legal malpractice cases. While he has not followed his father to the bench, Crooks has added the role of mediator to his work.

He spends about one-third of his time mediating cases, something he said happened by accident. It all began when he volunteered for the State Bar of Wisconsin’s mediation program where he mediated cases for free. Soon lawyers began calling to see if he would mediate cases for pay.

“People started using me for mediations and word kind of spread,” he said. “I never sought it out or advertised for it.”

Now he limits himself to mediating three or four cases a week, so he has time to do what he really enjoys, handling his own cases. He took some time out of his busy schedule to participate in this week’s Asked & Answered.

Wisconsin Law Journal: What is the most important thing to keep in mind when appearing in court?
Michael Crooks: Respect the process, respect the judge, respect the litigants and be prepared.

WLJ: If you could develop one CLE course for credit, what would it be about?
Crooks: I think it’s already been developed – effectively handling a litigated case from start to finish. Unfortunately, given the way the practice has developed, I don’t think young lawyers have the opportunity to try cases like when I was coming through. So the art of preparing a file from the start through the end trial process is not as finely honed as it used to be.

WLJ: What was your least favorite class in law school and why?
Crooks: Civil procedure, because it was offered first semester of the first year before I understood how all the pieces fit together.

WLJ: If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what career would you have chosen?
Crooks: [Long pause] Boy, you stumped me. There’s never been anything else in my matrix.  [Pause] I suppose investment counselor.

WLJ: What is your favorite movie about lawyers or the law and why?
Crooks: “Twelve Angry Men.” It shows the importance of a strong voice in the jury deliberation, and the importance of effectively presenting your case to average citizens.

WLJ: What is the best part of being an attorney?
Crooks: The independence to approach your client’s problems in creative ways.

WLJ: What do you miss most about your childhood?
Crooks: The small-town feeling that I grew up with in Green Bay.

WLJ: What is the first concert you went to?
Crooks: The Cars at Alpine Valley. An epic performance.

WLJ: If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why?
Crooks: Paul Ryan. I’d like to understand the economic mess that this country is in and understand the potential solutions for it.

WLJ: What is your favorite thing to do in Wisconsin?
Crooks: Packers games.

WLJ: What is your most prized possession?
Crooks: My family. A sappy answer, but truthful.

WLJ: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Crooks: I would be more relaxed.

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