Daily Business Review: Q&As With DBR’s 2019 On the Rise Honorees
By Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L. May 15, 2019
The Daily Business Review recognizes attorneys with On the Rise awards for outstanding work early in their careers.
LINDSAY HABER
Title: Partner
Experience: Kluger Kaplan, 2011-present
Education: Nova Southeastern University, 2010; University of Florida, 2006
What drew you to a career in law? The ability to use my undergraduate journalism degree with a career that would continuously keep me on my toes.
Have you set a specific goal that you want to achieve in the next year? I recently achieved my No. 1 work goal for the past several years of becoming partner at Kluger Kaplan in January.
What has been your proudest career moment and your biggest hurdle? Proudest career moment: Helping my client, an Italian citizen, get his children back to Italy. His wife, also an Italian citizen, had brought their Italian children to Miami for a summer vacation and refused to return the children to their home in Italy for the upcoming school year. Biggest hurdle: When I first started, building my confidence when arguing against senior attorneys in the courtroom.
Where do you fit on a 1-10 work-life balance scale with 10 being nirvana? Please explain. 7, There is an ebb and flow when it comes to work-life balance, especially when we are all continuing to push for professional success. I have started using my work calendar to plan not just work, but my personal life as well. So that I can try and make time for myself and my family and know how to plan each day successfully around both.
What is the top quality that you’ve used to succeed in the profession? Self-awareness. I am a litigator, part of a great law firm, and practice specifically in family law. To handle the hectic days that come with all of that, it takes more than just understanding the law. It takes, patience, understanding, and most of all, self-awareness. Knowing your strengths as well as your shortcomings helps me within my law firm as well as with my clients.
Who is your favorite mentor and why? Alan Kluger. He has allowed me to grow as a lawyer over the nearly 10 years at his firm: first as a summer associate in law school, then as a lawyer, and now as a partner at the firm. Alan has given me opportunities that must young lawyers could only dream of. I am thankful for the challenges he has given me and pushing me to be a better lawyer.
What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you? You know the law, now go with your gut!
What trends are you observing in the profession that you’re excited about? The way technology and remote connection has changed one’s ability to work away from the office desk. I think this has and will continue to be a big game changer for attorneys.
What is the greatest challenge you see for the legal profession? Technology. It has allowed emails, text messages, phone calls and even FaceTime to replace in-person meetings. Technology can be a double-edged sword!
If I weren’t a lawyer, I’d be … I don’t really know! I like being a family law attorney.