Plier thrives by helping others

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An injury at age 16 spurred Kyra Plier to pursue a legal career.

“I was a gymnast and suffered a severe spine and back injury and that opened my eyes to what people go through when they get injured,” said Plier, a lawyer at Hupy and Abraham in Milwaukee.

“I enjoy helping others and discovered that representing people who are injured is very rewarding.”

Plier said her competitive spirit from her days as a gymnast serves her well in the courtroom.

“Civil litigation allows that side of me to come out,” she said. “I enjoy the time in court and working on cases and seeing the outcomes as they play out.”

Earlier this year, Plier assisted in a $3.1 million settlement of a motorcycle-accident case that had left a client severely injured.

“Being able to help on something like that is why I became an attorney,” she said. “There’s a huge sense of relief and accomplishment that you made a difference and impacted someone’s life.”

Chad Kreblin, a partner at Hupy & Abraham, said Plier stands out for her passion for helping people who are in need.

“Her enthusiasm and drive to go above and beyond for her clients has become contagious among those who work closely with her,” he said.

Plier said she was prepared for a legal career in large part by the time she spent working as an intern for retired Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Jeanine Geske and the Wisconsin Public Defender’s Office.

“I learned a lot from Justice Geske about the law,” said Plier, who was an intern for Geske and the Restorative Justice Initiative while a student at Marquette University Law School. “The experience also gave me an inside perspective of how an injury or accident can affect an entire community.”

Plier’s internship with the Wisconsin Public Defender’s Office opened her eyes to what happens from day to day in a courtroom, she said.

“I saw how judges prepare for cases and how they make decisions,” Plier said. “I also could watch how defense attorneys and prosecutors work and handle themselves in court.”

Geske and the attorneys at Hupy and Abraham have been great mentors, she said.

“I am fortunate that I have had so much experience with so many wonderful mentors,” Plier said. “Whenever I have had questions, there is always someone there to lend a hand.”