Michael L. Goodman « Virginia Lawyers Weekly

Michael L. Goodman

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: October 13, 2009

Name
Michael L. Goodman

Honor
Educator in fields of bioethics, medical liability law and legal professionalism; widely recognized expert in medical malpractice law

Business/Employer
Goodman, Allen & Filetti PLLC
4501 Highwoods Parkway, Suite 210
Glen Allen, VA 23060
(804) 346-5274

E-mail
mgoodman@goodmanallen.com

Education
BA, University of Virginia
JD, University of Virginia

Who was your most important mentor and how did that mentor impact your career?

I cannot say that any one lawyer or judge was my most important mentor. Truly, it takes a village. I owe much to a lot of people along the way. On a more personal note, my dad continues to be my moral compass; my mom is the nurturer and my wife, Julie, keeps me grounded.

What do you consider your biggest personal accomplishment and why?

Aside from raising three children, I can say that forming a law firm with a group of colleagues/partners/friends and surviving (almost 12 years now) to talk about it ranks right up there. As a firm, we have tried to provide a service to our clients and an amiable environment in which to work – to balance family, lives and the profession.

What is the best bit of advice you ever received?

“Choose your hills to die on carefully and you will live to die another day…”

How do you achieve a balance between your professional life and your personal life?

(Sometimes I don’t…), but I usually manage by getting exercise every day (sometimes at the expense of sleep), drawing regularly and, primarily, by having an amazing and tolerant wife.

If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what field would you have entered?

Art – I still intend to be a fulltime cartoonist and sculptor the second half of my life.

What is your favorite book or movie and why?

Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham. I‘ve always liked Dr. Seuss – the rhymes, the characters and the message. Make fun if you will, but the when the main figure, Sam (after much protest) finally tries something new, he realizes that he was wrong to pre-judge.

What are two facts about you that most people, including your closest friends, may not know?

I paint faces on rocks in my spare time and I want to learn to play the banjo.