Questions and Answers with Attorney Deirdre O'Donnell
The Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welch, P.C. have the best attorneys in the Lake of the Ozarks area and a top notch support team to help you with most legal issues. We want to feature the outstanding members of our firm via a series of Blogs where we ask some questions and get some insight on why they went into Law, learn about them as individuals, and feature what they do when they are not at work helping others. We hope you enjoy this series, and we will feature a different team member every other week.
Q) Why did you become a Lawyer?
A) I had my first inkling of wanting to become a lawyer when I was working in St. Louis as a social worker. I was serving adults with disabilities who lived in a group home setting, and some of them were getting into trouble with the law. That got me thinking a lot about the importance of strong legal advocacy for people who could not advocate effectively for themselves. From that point on I was determined to become a public defender.
Q) Where did you go to school? (Undergrad/Law School)
A) I grew up in St. Louis and stayed there to go to college. My first year of college was at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri. I had just spent most of my mid-to-late teenage years playing keyboards in several different bands, and both of my parents were musicians, and so I assumed a music major was a natural fit for me. But it wasn’t. Once I came to grips with that, I transferred to Washington University and changed my focus to psychology. I remained at Wash U for my undergraduate degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social work and a JD in law.
Q) Who is your family?
A) Bob is my husband, and we just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary! He is retired from the Navy and has a long and interesting military and law enforcement career history. He recently transitioned from law enforcement into a civilian position with the state of Missouri, and loves it. He doesn’t come home with as many entertaining work stories as he used to, but I am glad that he no longer faces an elevated risk every time he goes to work. We have 2 sons, one in college and one in middle school, and they are growing into fine young men. They are both funny and smart and we just enjoy being with them. We love feeling connected to them and their friends through their school, athletic and social activities and the time we all spend together hanging out around the house.
Q) What is your favorite movie?
A) I keep thinking I am going to grow out of this, but I have always been a huge romance/comedy fan, and that hasn’t changed. So, yes, I love movies like “Love Actually” and “P.S. I Love You”. But I live in a household of males, so I get a healthy dose of action, suspense and science fiction. Going as a family to see all the Star Trek movies and Avatar are some of my favorite memories.
Q) Is there a particular part of practicing law that makes you most proud of?
A) Having long-lasting relationships with people. Clients and colleagues. I feel proud when someone who I worked with on a problem 10 or 15 years ago valued our relationship enough to remember me, find me, and re-connect with me. Either just to let me know how they are doing, or to talk with me about a new problem. I like being available to clients, new and old, when they need guidance through a legal problem. I am also proud to be a part of our office culture that values long-term commitment to one another. Not only have most of our attorneys at Phillips, McElyea been committed to one another for decades, but most of our staff are long timers as well. We have become a family, and that is such an important aspect of having a satisfying legal career.
Q) What are your goals?
A) Work-family balance is always on my mind. As a lawyer, business owner, wife, mother, daughter, and friend, there are always a million different things that I feel I should be doing, which I think makes time feel like it is passing by really fast. One of my goals lately has been to focus on being present in the moment, which sounds so cliché, but is really so important to me. I find that focusing on what is right in front of me, and giving one thing my full, undivided attention, rather than dividing my thoughts and attention between what is right in front of me, on the one hand, and all the other things I think I should be doing, on the other, really helps make time feel like it is slowing down a bit. Plus, for me, focusing allows each moment to become more meaningful and enjoyable. I am also trying to get up 30 minutes early every morning so I can read for pleasure. That sets a nice tone to my day. But when my alarm goes off at 5:30, my goal quickly shifts to sleeping a few more minutes.
Q) What are your hobbies?
A) My more solitary hobbies include gardening, which I absolutely love, and then taking pictures of the things that come out of my garden, which is kind of goofy. I like to make compost for my gardens and I enjoy listening to lots of podcasts. My favorite social hobby has to be the one that I enjoy with my husband. We love to take trips on our Harley. For our 15th anniversary we rode to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, for a long weekend, and had the best adventure. We look forward to riding the Harley and traveling a lot well into our retirement years. I also take great pleasure in staying active with my kids. If they are playing basketball, roller skating, camping or rock climbing, I like to jump right in alongside of them. I am recovering from a broken rib right now as proof that I’m not kidding! I am also learning how to play the acoustic guitar.
Q) When you want to relax, what do you like to do?
A) Good question. Because if I sit down on the sofa and stop moving, even for a moment, it seems like I am out like a light in no time at all. At least that is what my husband and kids say. But what I think relaxes me at the end of a hard work day is my group exercise classes, which include Zumba, Yoga and Body Combat. I love those immensely. Once I am home, watching a little Netflix on my Ipad is relaxing, and I am always up for good conversation over a couple glasses of wine or a hot cup of tea. Those things definitely relax me.
Q) What is the last book your really enjoyed and why?
A) I just recently finished 2 books that I enjoyed. “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed and “Organizing Genius: the Secrets of Creative Collaboration” by Warren Bennis and Patricia Biederman. These two books couldn’t be more different from one another, but I really enjoyed them both. What I would like to say about that is that one I read on my ipad and the other I read in hard back, and I have been really fascinated lately by how different the reading experiences are with the two mediums. I have been trying to figure out which medium I prefer, digital or paper, and I have concluded that a little of both is nice. For pure fantasy or fictional reading, the touch and feel and landscape of a real book is nice. But if I am reading a book to help me learn a new skill or idea, I love the digital format because of the ease in which I can highlight text for quick reference later, or look up definitions of a word with the touch of a fingertip. Digital is also great because you always have it with you on your phone and can steal several short bursts of reading throughout the day. Sometimes you just have to grab those moments for yourself any way you can get them.
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Q & A with Attorney Deirdre O'Donnell
Q) Why did you become a Lawyer?A) I had my first inkling of wanting to become a lawyer when I was working in St. Louis as a social worker. I was serving adults with disabilities who lived in a group home setting, and some of them were getting into trouble with the law. That got me thinking a lot about the importance of strong legal advocacy for people who could not advocate effectively for themselves. From that point on I was determined to become a public defender.
Q) Where did you go to school? (Undergrad/Law School)
A) I grew up in St. Louis and stayed there to go to college. My first year of college was at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri. I had just spent most of my mid-to-late teenage years playing keyboards in several different bands, and both of my parents were musicians, and so I assumed a music major was a natural fit for me. But it wasn’t. Once I came to grips with that, I transferred to Washington University and changed my focus to psychology. I remained at Wash U for my undergraduate degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social work and a JD in law.
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| Deirdre and Bob |
Q) Who is your family?
A) Bob is my husband, and we just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary! He is retired from the Navy and has a long and interesting military and law enforcement career history. He recently transitioned from law enforcement into a civilian position with the state of Missouri, and loves it. He doesn’t come home with as many entertaining work stories as he used to, but I am glad that he no longer faces an elevated risk every time he goes to work. We have 2 sons, one in college and one in middle school, and they are growing into fine young men. They are both funny and smart and we just enjoy being with them. We love feeling connected to them and their friends through their school, athletic and social activities and the time we all spend together hanging out around the house.
A) I keep thinking I am going to grow out of this, but I have always been a huge romance/comedy fan, and that hasn’t changed. So, yes, I love movies like “Love Actually” and “P.S. I Love You”. But I live in a household of males, so I get a healthy dose of action, suspense and science fiction. Going as a family to see all the Star Trek movies and Avatar are some of my favorite memories.
Q) Is there a particular part of practicing law that makes you most proud of?
A) Having long-lasting relationships with people. Clients and colleagues. I feel proud when someone who I worked with on a problem 10 or 15 years ago valued our relationship enough to remember me, find me, and re-connect with me. Either just to let me know how they are doing, or to talk with me about a new problem. I like being available to clients, new and old, when they need guidance through a legal problem. I am also proud to be a part of our office culture that values long-term commitment to one another. Not only have most of our attorneys at Phillips, McElyea been committed to one another for decades, but most of our staff are long timers as well. We have become a family, and that is such an important aspect of having a satisfying legal career.
Q) What are your goals?
A) Work-family balance is always on my mind. As a lawyer, business owner, wife, mother, daughter, and friend, there are always a million different things that I feel I should be doing, which I think makes time feel like it is passing by really fast. One of my goals lately has been to focus on being present in the moment, which sounds so cliché, but is really so important to me. I find that focusing on what is right in front of me, and giving one thing my full, undivided attention, rather than dividing my thoughts and attention between what is right in front of me, on the one hand, and all the other things I think I should be doing, on the other, really helps make time feel like it is slowing down a bit. Plus, for me, focusing allows each moment to become more meaningful and enjoyable. I am also trying to get up 30 minutes early every morning so I can read for pleasure. That sets a nice tone to my day. But when my alarm goes off at 5:30, my goal quickly shifts to sleeping a few more minutes.
A) My more solitary hobbies include gardening, which I absolutely love, and then taking pictures of the things that come out of my garden, which is kind of goofy. I like to make compost for my gardens and I enjoy listening to lots of podcasts. My favorite social hobby has to be the one that I enjoy with my husband. We love to take trips on our Harley. For our 15th anniversary we rode to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, for a long weekend, and had the best adventure. We look forward to riding the Harley and traveling a lot well into our retirement years. I also take great pleasure in staying active with my kids. If they are playing basketball, roller skating, camping or rock climbing, I like to jump right in alongside of them. I am recovering from a broken rib right now as proof that I’m not kidding! I am also learning how to play the acoustic guitar.
Q) When you want to relax, what do you like to do?
A) Good question. Because if I sit down on the sofa and stop moving, even for a moment, it seems like I am out like a light in no time at all. At least that is what my husband and kids say. But what I think relaxes me at the end of a hard work day is my group exercise classes, which include Zumba, Yoga and Body Combat. I love those immensely. Once I am home, watching a little Netflix on my Ipad is relaxing, and I am always up for good conversation over a couple glasses of wine or a hot cup of tea. Those things definitely relax me.
Q) What is the last book your really enjoyed and why?
A) I just recently finished 2 books that I enjoyed. “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed and “Organizing Genius: the Secrets of Creative Collaboration” by Warren Bennis and Patricia Biederman. These two books couldn’t be more different from one another, but I really enjoyed them both. What I would like to say about that is that one I read on my ipad and the other I read in hard back, and I have been really fascinated lately by how different the reading experiences are with the two mediums. I have been trying to figure out which medium I prefer, digital or paper, and I have concluded that a little of both is nice. For pure fantasy or fictional reading, the touch and feel and landscape of a real book is nice. But if I am reading a book to help me learn a new skill or idea, I love the digital format because of the ease in which I can highlight text for quick reference later, or look up definitions of a word with the touch of a fingertip. Digital is also great because you always have it with you on your phone and can steal several short bursts of reading throughout the day. Sometimes you just have to grab those moments for yourself any way you can get them.
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