Habush attorney maintains dedication to others

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Christopher Rogers wasn’t going to get into the family business.

“My grandfather was a lawyer. My father was a lawyer. My older brother, Peter, and my first cousin, Kevin, are lawyers. … I was at the dinner table when my father got called away at 7 at night to help a client,” Rogers said. “I was not going to be a lawyer.”

But then, he became an advocate for the disabled, helping severely disabled people get job coaching and employment support. He also helped local businesses find ways to work with disabled employees.

“It was very rewarding and very difficult and very time consuming,” Rogers said. “But, that ultimately is what made me rethink going to law school.”

Today, Rogers is a shareholder with Habush Habush & Rottier SC in Madison. A personal injury attorney primarily, Rogers also works with the firm’s product liability team.

He recently began a two-year term with the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors. Rogers represents District 9, which covers Dane County.

While Rogers said he has “the benefit of a hectic and busy life,” all those commitments have somewhat sidetracked his focus on disability-related issues. But, he said, they’re never far from his mind, especially since those early experiences still drive him today.

“It trained me to be an advocate, to understand your role and be there for whatever your client base is,” Rogers said. “And that has transferred very well into working at the Habush firm.”

Rogers also expects that experience to translate into his work with the Board of Governors.

“I want to really be a voice for the lawyers in my district,” he said. “That’s why I wanted to be a part of it – to be vocal, be an advocate for the attorneys and try to get their voices heard.”

Wisconsin Law Journal: What is the best part of being an attorney?
Christopher Rogers: I think that’s a pretty easy one for me – the ability to be an advocate for my clients. When I see them to the end, either through verdict or settlement, and to be there for them is really a privilege. That’s the best thing. It’s just rewarding to help other people when they need it.

WLJ: If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what would you have done?
Rogers: Other than wanting to be an astronaut or a football player when I was eight? I really was into wildlife biology. I enjoyed the outdoors and thought that might be a path. I also thought public service and politics might be an avenue for me. And I’m a news junkie, so that was an option.

WLJ: If you could be a superhero, who would you be?
Rogers: I would be Super Dad. I have three kids all under the age of 14.

WLJ: What was your most useful law school course? Why?
Rogers: That would be trial advocacy. I enjoyed it tremendously and that was really the course that made me think I wanted to get into the courtroom to be a trial lawyer. And Dan Rottier and Susan Steingrass were my trial ed professors. They were mentors, and years later, hired me at this firm.

WLJ: What was your least-favorite course in law school? Why?
Rogers: I don’t know if I had a least-favorite course. I’m not going to say I got something out of everything. But, if I had to pick, I guess I’d say environmental law because it was based on the regulatory rules of the day. I was looking for more of a broad-based discussion. I think that’s probably more my fault than the class.

WLJ: If you could develop one CLE course for credit, what would it be about?
Rogers: I’m on the State Bar strategic planning committee and the State Bar CLE committee, and they do a great job of getting lawyers the courses they need. So, I would defer to the State Bar on that one.

WLJ: How would your mother describe you in one word?
Rogers: Maybe determined. Determined or rambunctious.

WLJ: What do you miss most about your childhood?
Rogers: I’d say the carefree nature of being a kid, the opportunity to spend almost every waking moment outdoors, the ability to not be focused on anything but playing whiffle ball until the sun is so low you can’t see the ball – that’s what I miss.

WLJ: What do you consider your biggest achievement to date? Why?
Rogers: Professionally, I’m just extremely proud to be a shareholder and lawyer for this firm. These folks are not just my colleagues, but also my friends. The ability to practice law with them and be an advocate for my clients is something I’m really proud of. Personally, I’m awfully proud of my kids, so being a father is probably my greatest achievement.

WLJ: Finish this sentence: Happiness is…
Rogers: If you’re a Beatles fan, happiness is a warm gun. But that’s an easy one. Happiness is my wife Corina and my kids Nicholas, Abigail and Danielle.