Megan Mathias is the Founder of Lopp Mathias Law, she represents business owners with challenges relating to corporate governance, employment issues, shareholder disputes, Family Law disputes and contract issues. Megan talks about how entrepreneurial knowledge and creating a united culture is important in building a good law firm.
She talks about how her law firm started out as a virtual service and how that benefit both the clients and lawyers. Megan also talks about how she was able to manage her time in a season where she had to juggle a lot of responsibilities. They also talk a bit about political issues that need to be addressed and some of Megan's positions on issues as a candidate for Alderman.
Timestamps:
“It's not that I'm a superwoman although there are days I feel like I had to be a superwoman to get through that. But it's also about hiring the right people... outsourcing the things that you're not good at. I know what I'm great at. I know what I'm not great at. I'll still get it done but it may not be my hands on it.” - Megan Mathias
Megan Mathias
Website: https://www.loppmathiaslaw.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoppMathiasLaw/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmathias/
Megan Mathias, Founder of LOPP MATHIAS LAW
Family Law
Bio: Megan Mathias is a fierce advocate and compassionate defender of the rights of entrepreneurs, women, children, and BIPOC. After 14 years lawyering for mid to large size law firms, becoming a Partner, and winning over $70 million in commercial and family law cases, Megan knew it was time for a change. Increasingly frustrated with the inefficiencies she saw in large law firms, and not happy with their prioritization of billable hours over-delivering value and results for her clients, Megan knew she could do much better.
She decided to create her own firm, Lopp Mathias Law, driven by her values, her standards, and her integrity. To that end, Megan created an innovative and fast-growing firm of like-minded attorneys. She incorporated state of the art technology for document automation and assembly, better billing practices and alternative fee arrangements to reduce legal fees for her clients. Driven by efficiency and effectiveness, Megan also designed her firm to provide a wide array of specialized legal services through her unique Affiliate Network without the typical law firm overhead and passes those cost savings onto her clients. She is committed to being a loyal and long-term partner for her clients, as she guides them through challenging legal periods in their lives with skill and compassion.
Megan has been recognized for her sophisticated representation in trade secret and other cases involving complex e-discovery issues and forensic analysis of electronically stored information. Megan co-chairs the Seventh Circuit Council on Data Privacy and Digital Information.
Megan is dedicated to her community. She serves on the Boards of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, FLASH (Force of Lawyers Against Sexual Harassment), and the Filament Theater.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmathias/
Have comments, questions, or concerns? Contact us at feedback@1958lawyer.com
Episode Transcript:
Ron Bockstahler 0:28
Hello and welcome to the show the 1958 lawyer where we talk about the changing landscape in the legal industry. Our guest today is Megan Mathias founding partner of Mathias law. She represents business owners with challenges relating to corporate governance, employment issues, shareholder disputes, Family Law disputes and contract issues. And you're gonna have a lot of fun listening to Megan, she's got a ton of energy and she's done just a million things and we really want to find out how she does it. Also, she's an advocate for women and black indigenous and people of color. She sits on many boards, including the YWCA Metropolitan of Chicago, lifespan building, elementary school is co chair of the steering committee, state courts, small case project teams for the Seventh Circuit, electronic mess that Megan you're gonna have, tell us about that. Okay. And now she's decided she's gonna run for the 45th Ward alderman in Chicago to make where she lives a better place. Megan, welcome to the show.
Megan Mathias 1:20
Thank you. Thanks so much. Thanks for having me.
Ron Bockstahler 1:22
All right, let's get started with Where'd you come from? And how did you get to where you're at? Let's start from the beginning. Because you got to go
Megan Mathias 1:28
from a small town in Michigan, very small Tom dirt road, even my mom still lives on the same dirt road. first generation college students sell through college at Michigan State and then came to Chicago in 2000, for law school, and obviously got through law school, and was practicing and bigger firms for a significant portion of my career. But I always one of the only females, I was one of the only females in litigation and a big firm, then I went to a smaller firm where I was one of the only female partners. And I thought, since I was, you know, higher up on this on the hierarchy, that I would have some more impact on some of the things I cared about. But it's still hard in law firms are like big institutions with their own culture and their own rules. And I'm a disrupter. So I didn't, it wasn't the same that I that I how I wanted to practice. So even the marketing people would come to me and say, we're having trouble kind of getting your message with the rest of the firm. So I compensated people differently. I ran my teams differently. I wanted to use different technology. So anyway, in 2018, I started my own practice.
Ron Bockstahler 2:33
Let's talk about your own practice. Because in 2020, your you won an award from legal tech, what did you win? And why did you win it? And what are you doing differently?
Megan Mathias 2:40
It's an American technology award, because I've been working on legal tech for quite some time, as I sat on the steering committee for the Seventh Circuit used to be called pilot program for ediscovery. And it is the group that helps form the rules that were adopted by most jurisdictions around the country and how you handle electronic information. So in any litigation, it's important. So of course, now photos, and everything has metadata attached to it, how you manage that in litigation is obviously really important. So that was the starting of getting involved in technology as it relates to the legal field, you know, 10 or 15 years ago, whenever that was, and then it's now like I said, when I started my own firm, we were already paperless, I started it with a completely different model business model, I compensate the lawyers differently. Like the whole, everything I do is different. And I think better and faster and more efficient and allows me to get flexibility to my clients. And you know, there were some bumps along the way, you know, I learned a lesson here or there as to you know, why the business model what the downside of some of these models are, I understand it, but I think it's worth the risk and clients know now. I mean, they know they're looking for flexibility, even big clients, they want to know that you're monitoring and you have metrics around some of your productivity and how you bill and that kind of thing. So it's been
Ron Bockstahler 3:58
okay, so give me some let's get into the meat so it's different. What exactly are you doing different?
Megan Mathias 4:03
So pre COVID we started in 2018. I started a paperless office, everything was virtual anyway, so my lawyers can work from anywhere. One of my struggles and bigger firms is that you have service partners, all of whom I like so I'm not talking trash about my old partners, but their job is to service the work that we the business developers bring in so there's some inefficiency there's they're pulling significant salaries that obviously impact your overhead but their job is not to go get business that was and so they're waiting there they like a specialist I was give this example is like a 409 a it's a complex tax issue that I know nothing about when to have a 409 expert you have you know person pulling a major salary and you're just have to go get the business to have this person working on it, or you I have contracts with even big firms that have specialists on the issues that I need for my clients and I can still operate full service but I don't have a couple million dollars in overhead sitting and waiting for me to bring them in. So I have some staff lawyers and but I use virtual assistants. And this was all pre COVID, virtual assistants, I use contractors, but I have contracts with them for quality standards and responsiveness and stuff like that. And then as it relates to more more complex and sophisticated issues, I have vendors, which are largely law firms and and that will handle those kind of issues. So it's a completely different business model.
Ron Bockstahler 5:24
So when we talk about the business concept, you're using the practice management software, you're up in the cloud. So technology is kind of driving your firm, not the old school, we need 25 people sitting on staff to, you know, type a letter type thing, right, exactly. Right. Okay. Excellent. And that's working out? Well,
Megan Mathias 5:39
it's working out well, in the bigger, more sophisticated clients really appreciate it. And they don't expect it because we're technically on paper, a small firm, but we're small but mighty, because we have, like I said, we have the full serve, we can cover any almost anything except for intellectual property speeds, and but in a sophisticated way, with the right kind of staff and a very thoughtful process. And as it relates to them, and also how we communicate with them. We have autobill technology, so it bills by the minute, so you're not getting over billed on accident with lawyers, like I think I spent 15 minutes on that kind of thing. We also have flexible billing arrangements. So because I have all these metrics, and I monitor them, I can offer flex that other firms can't because I use templating software, I can take a deal in for somebody raising, you know, capital round, and usually it's billable, but I can flat rate it, you know, 25 $40,000, and big firms are doing it an upwards of 100. And we're doing the same thing, but I use templating technology. And so it reduces my time and the cost and the clients love it. So
Ron Bockstahler 6:44
So before you started your own firm, I think you might have did a little interview of how do I pivot to a corporate role? Right, and you will recall this. Yeah. And so you were thinking, I think at the time, I don't wanna put words in your mouth, but you wanted to be in the C suite and understand, you know, let's run a business. Obviously, you started your own firm, but you know, in what you just said to me, kind of maybe this is why we like each other so much, or at least I like you I don't know if you like me or not yet, as you know, I've run a large corporation, large corporation, and then my company now not midsize firm. And I believe in outsourcing anything you are not an expert at and doesn't matter. And I think law firms, if they would understand that, they'd be so much more successful, it's too many, I'm going to say I gotta go hire an employment lawyer, I'm gonna pay him, you know, start them at 80,000 a year, because I got a client that wants to do an employment instead of going finding a firm that's an expert at it and outsourcing it to them. It sounds like that's what you're doing. So basically, I think you've got that corporate experience by starting your own firm
Megan Mathias 7:33
I did, and what we we call it now I didn't know how to put a word on what I do. So what clients will say to me is, wow, you're really holding my hand through this, taking a company. And sometimes when they're doing a capital around or an acquisition, it completely changes how things operate. If you have a transactional relationship with your lawyer, we're just doing the task and kind of moving on, you're not a fantastic lawyer, you're getting the job done. Okay? I say this a lot. It's not rocket science, some of it, but when you're in it with your client, so we're legal plus is what we call it, we're they need more than just your legal mind, they need you helping, I can redo your policy handbook and help you with these than that. But sometimes you need someone helping you come up with the processes within your company to make it more efficient to grow to go after a certain market to you know, because I have that I'm kind of entrepreneurial mind and mentality. It's like legal plus some say like a GC General Counsel plus your CEO, because you're helping from the C suite level, talk about strategy, all kinds of things that just a regular outside counsel doesn't provide. So we've started to put a word on it, because that's what people really need. And then COVID, they have to slash so much. A lot of our clients were, you know, just trying to survive, they need you to get in the dirt with them and really dig in and figure out how to survive what's happening. And that was when we realized, and that is our superpower here. So that's really one of our main offerings.
Ron Bockstahler 8:55
So I read somewhere maybe on track like you, did you do a talk on cash flow, or teaching people or one of your Tell us about that? Because I don't think to me attorneys really understand
Megan Mathias 9:03
that, right? They don't. And I remember as a young lawyer being like, I need to go get my MBA. There's definitely stuff here. I don't I need to know, I didn't go get my MBA, but I
Ron Bockstahler 9:12
learned you got it non job experience.
Megan Mathias 9:15
Absolutely. They don't teach you anything like that in law school. And I have a business degree, but it was in marketing. So it wasn't it wasn't heavily focused on the financial. So you know, I represent a lot of small business owners too, especially when I went on my own. I started representing women and minority owned businesses and as the as its market because it's bigger firms. They trickle in, but I wanted to focus on it. And some everybody is when you're a new entrepreneur, for sure, you need help managing those kind of things. You don't you're not even aware that that's a thing and how do you get it? There's lots of ways to get through it and COVID that's on steroids. How do you manage your cash flow, I don't even know if I'm going to have any cash. So anyway, it's a skill that I have developed and learned that clients need it. They need you in the trenches with them and that includes managing cash flow. includes your people and other alternatives for or for that. So what we tell people even right now we work with people who will acquire other companies, and they may not want the legal department. So one thing we're really good at is this interim role. So they may for 1824 months not have a general counsel, and they might have five law firms, and I'm spending way too much money, it's inefficient, but they need a general counsel. So we stand up their legal department for 18 months, helping them with processes, bringing in the right technology people, we have relationships with vendors, and we can fill fill your legal department overnight if we needed to, but we can stand that up for you for 18 months while you get the right GC and you get the right, you know, structures and infrastructure in place. So that's been really great market for us.
Ron Bockstahler 10:42
That's awesome. I mean, it's great to hear that there's for innovation that's going on, because you don't hear that a lot in the legal industry, although COVID accelerating things.
Megan Mathias 10:49
Yeah, that sort of forced the hand. And that separated the cream from the crap as they say, I guess so. You know, we were doing trials right away on zoom, I did a trial, an international trial on zoom with the beginning of COVID. Like, like nothing. Our opponent was struggling with the process. So you know, I tell people, sometimes you went on process, sometimes you went on merit, and sometimes apparently you win if you're better than, oh, lead outs,
Ron Bockstahler 11:14
don't let's kind of get into you've had some some challenges to say the least. You know, if you don't mind, I'd like for you to talk about some of the I mean, you've really got let's talk about even on your personal side, if you don't mind, because I want people understand this hasn't been easy. And there's a lot going on here. Yeah, there's
Megan Mathias 11:29
a lot I mean, come coming from a family where nobody wants to college. And, you know, I tell this example to people I went to law school and was like, why don't why don't people have business cards, I never really seen people using business cards until law school. I'm out of college with two college degrees. And I was confused, like, you know, because I don't have a parent to go say, Oh, this is how you network. You know, I learned I had to learn everything on the job. So when I hire I hire for grit because I've been through things I've been divorced, I filed for bankruptcy after my divorce, I got a DUI at one point in my life, it obliterated my self confidence It took years to get and I was so worried about, you know, my family, the whole thing, all of those things, looking back, you can learn from you can take that energy and use it for good. Or you can, you know, dig yourself a hole and stay in it for a while which you know, kind of whatever we feel like everybody's doing right now with COVID. But you know, I've learned to take those experiences and those challenges and find a way to find the silver lining, learn from those mistakes and grow. And so now when I hire lawyers, I look for grit, I don't look for mistakes, necessarily, but you learn from those life experiences. And if you can use it the right way. And you really do learn from it, instead of just put it under the rug, it really does bring you a different kind of mentality to the practice of law because now you can empathize with what your clients are going through instead of just like why are they making all these dumb mistakes? Now you're like, Oh, well, because we all do and how do we help them get out of it?
Ron Bockstahler 12:57
Can you jump into time management for us because you got so many things going on? Yeah, that's
Megan Mathias 13:01
the thing. I have three kids, I have my law practice. I when my son My partner got sick a few years back with cancer, he was very sick for multiple years and passed away in 2019. In the middle of that I realized I needed to be closer to home. So I that's part of when I started my law firm in my neighborhood and the 45th word and, and managing my time I say to people now I don't feel busy. I felt really busy when I was taking care of my partner dying from cancer while having a three year old and a four year old and teenager and also trying to keep my law firm afloat and come up with all these new policies. I was also an elected at the time and I still am an elected local school council member for local elementary school in my neighborhood. I managed that that was time management right? You know, now I feel like I actually do feel I have the time for everything happening and it means you have to have the right team around you. It's not that I'm a superwoman although there are days I feel like oh, I had to be a superwoman to get through that. But it's also about hiring the right people like you talk about outsourcing the things that you're not good at. I know what I'm great at. I know what I'm not great at. I'll still get it done. But it might not be my hands on it. Right? So but then that's what I'm learning having the right team around you is its killer. It's the it's the way to get through everything. You might have a deal we do deals right transactions for clients, they might buy a company and want to do it in 60 days. That's, that's an undertaking, right? I have to have the right team and infrastructure for me to be able to get the client's needs done. And that applies across the board, including the kids, I became a single parent in 2019. It's a whole nother ballgame. You can't go to Walgreens because you can't get to get everybody in the car and go get it you know, some toilet paper. So you know, I've got some infrastructure around that now. And that applies professionally too. You just have to have the right team you have to invest in your team, make sure they're happy part of my law firm law firm culture is also completely different. We do team building events before COVID we were doing like escape rooms and which takes your hierarchy. And it's gone, because the people getting us out of the escape room. But believe me, it wasn't me. It's like the clerks, we got out of one of them because of a clerk, you know, a quiet clerk that was so sweet. never said a word. If he was like, backup, I got the sandal. Like, you know what, that's a nice way for you people to feel your humanity. And your team works, I think harder and more productive during the time that they're supposed to if they feel respected and taken care of. And so we care a lot about that around here.
Ron Bockstahler 15:31
I will forget the name of the attorney. I was listening to his podcast or a podcast. It wasn't his but he's a big time personal injury attorney around the country out of Vegas, and you see his billboards everywhere. tu tu tu tu tu tu tu is his phone number. Anyway, turns out he was an Amata client when he first moved into Chicago, and I forgotten about that. But I listened to him. And I thought, you know, his father, he grew up went to prison when he was when he was five years old. And you just had a challenging life and kind of has the same the way you're talking to have grit. I want people that can just do work hard and figure it out. Right? Not gonna be the smartest person, right? And like you're saying, Go get people around you that are great. And don't act like you know, more than they do. Right? Yeah, let them do their thing. It's harder
Megan Mathias 16:09
than it sounds. But it is, you know, that's its own skill. And sometimes you make mistakes there too. But it really does. You know, if you invest in people, it matters how they feel my I remember, as a young lawyer being told you're too nice to the staff. What are you talking about? My mom works at the fruit market. Okay, I don't treat people that, you know, like, like that we are salt of the earth people. And now I know, because in some places, the lawyers are the lawyers and the staff isn't staff. I'm not like that. I still have Thanksgiving every year with a woman that was my secretary for eight years. We are best buds is you know, it's not hierarchical like that. So I think it matters how you treat people. And that applies to my my company and my clients and the political world, especially where I live
Ron Bockstahler 16:54
with politics. Let's talk politics, you've taken on a huge challenge. Now you're going to run for automated the 45th. Ward. Tell us about that. Let's talk a little bit about your platform. Yeah,
Megan Mathias 17:03
like a Simon elected already. And then in the community, I do a lot of community work, I deliver food for housing and home and food insecurity families on the weekends, and we've been doing a lot of work for for many years, and the community, they've been asking me to get involved for quite some time. But I told you earlier, I had to take care of my family. Obviously, in the interim, we we've had some leadership changes that have been difficult for my community. So I stepped up in response to community, you know, essentially begging and like we need someone to get in there and, and essentially respect people's opinions. So just what I learned with my law firm over the past, whatever, 18 years, this applies to politics to we're never going to all agree on everything, right. And if you're the type of person that's not going to respect someone else's opinion, you're going to create divisiveness. We already have divisiveness. So I'm going way overboard, trying to learn and listen to all sides of every issue is not just two sides. It's anything and trying to bring that kind of leadership. So the 45th word. So let's
Ron Bockstahler 18:07
I mean, everyone has skeletons in the closet, at least in my history. I know I do. So what's the worst thing that your opponent's gonna find out about you and getting put out there? Let's put it out right now?
Megan Mathias 18:16
Well, we, I've talked about 100 podcasts, there's nothing about thinking that you can find that I haven't talked about that justice podcast, but you know, interviews and, you know, articles and whatever, over this span of time because I I talk about grit in terms of how I started my company, because of what I went through. Right. So I've already talked about it today, you know, having to file bankruptcy as a young person that was just getting divorced, and it was $15,000 with spout felt like a mountain at that age. I look back I'm like, wow, you know, that was probably, you know, that was hard. It was embarrassing. that follows you for a decade. So those kind of things I'm sure going to come up but but I'm a real authentic person. So I'm not worried about that. I'm sure maybe some strategists are, but I think it is what it is right. And you make mistakes, and you can either own it or you can hide from it. So I own mine. I learned from them. And and i'm i've learned not to put myself in situations like that to repeat them.
Ron Bockstahler 19:12
So I've heard you said just one on one you and I've talked and I know you got some vision you got you got things you want to do. Let's talk about what your vision is for the 45th ward. I would
Megan Mathias 19:20
love to see the all Germans office focus on our schools as sitting on that policy. You know, I have learned first of all how complex and hard it is to run a public school. I don't run it I just participate in and it's it's hard. I helped the school forum, the tech committee, thank goodness about a year before COVID because I love tech. Obviously I want to bring innovation to the Ottomans office too. But that that's a real issue, especially now. I mean, the schools are the foundation of a neighborhood what the schools are going for going through because of COVID. It's transformational, how they, how they handle it and how our kids are going to come out of it and I have one at every level. I have a kindergartener, a second grader and a junior in high school. So how the schools are able to navigate, it's gonna matter how my kids come out of this with how much therapy they need, right? I mean, it really does matter. And we're not focusing a lot on that. And I think it would be really important. But another issue that is really important in my word is both development and the lack of investment in the in the community. So there's the main thoroughfare fare going through, the word is dead. There's a lot of vacancy, but no one's working on it. When you ask my opponent, what's the vision to get these small businesses, you know, supported and people back out? You know, when invigorator Award, he won't answer that question. And I'm here to say I have a big plan. As you can see, I think big, maybe too big, I'm sure someone will say that's ridiculous. Let's tone it down. But you've got to come in with a plan and advocate and work hard and think about it and actually wait for something to land on your desk. So that's what I want to do was put together a vision for the ward, listen to community voice work, really, that's going to be hard. I'm not saying just walk around, and everyone agrees with me. So I know that's a hard process. But if you start that now, I'm not in the office yet. I won't be the older person until February 2023. But I'm starting now with a plan and how do you listen? How what are the models that have been successful around the country for listening to community voice? How do you put that together? who's involved? What's that look like? So I think the community I know the community, they're hungry for it. They want to be listened to and respected. Talk to
Ron Bockstahler 21:27
me a little bit about COVID-19 vaccinations, masking, I don't even know what if the school policies you have to mass correct. That's a state policy, right?
Megan Mathias 21:34
Yeah. Yep. CPS are going to be in person and everybody mass. So I mean, I don't know what the Delta bear if there's going to be some kind of change in that. But there's I also think our leadership could have been better there too, especially in my neighborhood, I was as a regular private citizen organizing and transporting people to their COVID vaccinations, you know, it was a little bit like cricket sometimes, like, why can't we get why isn't my opponent before he was my opponent helping me? Why am I doing this? You know, with my with friends, and volunteers and neighbors and other electeds helping me find people that needed a vaccine, how do you get someone to coordinate to get both make their appointment, because that's the thing for people who don't aren't great at computers, half of the appointment systems were virtual. So you'd have to go and help them make the appointment and then arrange the transportation to go pick them up, wait for them. And some people were waiting hours at a time to get their appointment, get him back home, and then do it again for the second one. So that was a lot of work that that was I think the government should have been doing that. But I was doing that.
Ron Bockstahler 22:34
Let's talk about being an alderman because you're 50 alderman in Chicago, there are so you remember back in the day when Daly was there. And if he didn't have a 50 to zero vote on what's something he put out in front? Like he might have had a 49 to one I was like, Whoa, someone disagreed? That's changed a little bit, because we actually see that there's a little independent thinking going on. Can you talk to a little bit about you know how, because you're obviously not going to be a rubber stamp, not the wallflower. Yeah, you're not gonna be the wallflower. But how are you going to handle that? How you can handle being, you know, one of 50 working with the mayor?
Megan Mathias 23:02
Yeah, it's a tough job, but I'm good at collaborating. So what I say to people is they say, oh, you're this tough lawyer. You're good at like the fight. I am good at the fight. We're great at the fight, actually. But you resolve things 99% of the time, it needs to be resolved. It's not the case you take to trial even when you're a great lawyer because I love to take stuff to trial. I love trial work. I love being in the courtroom. It's where like all it's like, what my passion is really it's illegal. So but that's not always the best result for anybody for the clients, especially. So how do you take a complex issue when people are on fire? They're, you know, emotionally charged. They've been going at it, they're spending too much money litigating. They're just in a nasty place. How do you take that and find a solution? That's what I do every day. And and City Council's a little bit like that there are people complain that that the mayor is able to sort of manhandle the council, because she's good at the rules, but she's good at the rules. And I say to people, then learn the rules, and that you know, straight I don't walk in accordance hope someone doesn't object to my piece of evidence I've studied for weeks, I know what you're gonna object, I know how I'm gonna answer. I don't know how I'm gonna win, because I brought the case law. So that's sort of how you have to approach the job. And I know that's not everybody's thing. But I guess that's my mentality is how you both collaborate, but also anticipate and politic and think a little bit ahead how we're going to get get past an objection or emotion of the table. Something, you know, think a little bit about that and work with your colleagues on it. So I think that's a really important piece. So I
Ron Bockstahler 24:29
asked you all I said, are you up to this challenge? And you said I was born for this?
Megan Mathias 24:34
Yeah, I do feel like I've been preparing, sharpening the skills my whole career for this job. Because it is it is complex. It is both constituent services, where I think there needs to be more technology, managing the Office of the aldermen and how calls come in and what's being done about them and looking at those metrics, but it also is the legislative portion of our job, and how you're Want to approach what the community needs, how you're going to listen to the community voice, there's menu money that every alderman gets every year. And you get to decide what to use that and some people listen to the community and others just decide. So there's hybrid models that you can both listen to the community. And but yet you make the decision, I think it's a better way to approach it. Because it's not just me, I'm, I'm merely a reflection of the community. I'm supposed to be your representative, whether you voted for me or not, which is apparently an issue in my work, where if you didn't vote for someone, you may not get the attention, or you're thinking your whole dress bottle. I don't want to be like that. You know what I'm trying to say it again,
Ron Bockstahler 25:36
you can't get bottles fixed, or you can't get your garbage taken, taken out? Oh, yeah.
Megan Mathias 25:39
Yeah, I could, yeah, I want it to be I'm listening. And I'm, you know, we're not going to hold grudges, we're going to move forward, we're going to find a way. And if you need assistance with your pothole, or or, you know, trimming a tree, or whatever's happening in your house, it's not going to matter. Well, when I'm the older person who you voted for,
Ron Bockstahler 25:57
if we talk about politics on a little bit bigger picture and keep and kind of focused on technology, you know, how can we use technology to get more people to the polls?
Megan Mathias 26:05
Yeah, I would say it's not just technology, it's also innovative thinking. So there went hand in hand. So some of what I do, it's not even the technology. It's the way we think about things. So I think that the same way, we're doing our mark kickoff on our campaign on national voter registration day, because I think voter registration should be everywhere. It should be, you know, you go to the store, and there's the voter registration reminder. And you know, because more people involved is better, there's 55,000 people will right now or redistricting, but right now, there's 55,000 people in the ward for the new numbers come out, and only 14,800 vote for the older person. So you really should, from a metric standpoint, have more people involved. So you know, you're representing what the community really wants, right. So that includes, that's just the basics of voting. So there's lots of new technology out, there's lots of energy around voter registration. And I think it's really important to keep that going.
Ron Bockstahler 27:02
change gears a little bit, let's talk about a couple of organizations where you sit on the board. And I think cuz you got a couple of really good interesting ones that you work with. And if you got one you want to talk about Otherwise, I'll just I sat
Megan Mathias 27:12
on the board of the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago for many years, I recently resigned because they have a lot of business with Chicago. And I didn't want that to be an issue in my race. So I actually just stepped off the board. But their mission was empowering women and eliminating racism, both things I care deeply about. And they have so many wonderful people, they serve more than 200,000 families in the in the Chicagoland area. They're a really great organization that I sat, I literally cried when I resigned because it's really a passion of mine. I also sit on the board of lifespan, which is an organization that is long standing, and it's been fighting domestic violence and human trafficking for a very long time. I even help with bigger pieces, because those trying to trials are tough, and you don't want to miss miss a beat. And sometimes you have big scary opponents. Right? So you need the team. And so I've been doing that work for a long time. And I care passionately about that there is no excuse for domestic violence.
Ron Bockstahler 28:10
And are you still working with the coalition of women's initiatives in law? Yeah, I've
Megan Mathias 28:14
been a member for probably more than a decade at this point. And I sought them out because like I said earlier, I was always the only female in my area where I was working. And that was many law firm, different law firms, I still had that challenge. And I always felt like I needed some support. So I went to the coalition, like I said more than 10 years ago, and it's about creating policies to help women feel empowered, and really break through the glass ceiling. And that group was an is still is just really amazing. So when I went on my own, and then my partner was sick. And I actually was like, wow, I need the village today. So I had the village because I've been working with people for so long that it finally finally all came back. And that's how I felt about the groups. I've been in the my community. My community stepped up for me when we needed it when my kids needed it when my partner was sick, and I'm trying to get the hospice and we can't get dinner and someone needs to bring the kids somewhere, my community stepped up for me. So I've learned that these decades of work in the community giving back it comes full circle when you need it.
Ron Bockstahler 29:20
That's awesome. That's great to hear. I'm glad that they were there for you. Let's kind of take it back. And we're kind of running out of time. So I will give you a minute to talk about any last things you want to communicate. But before we get to that I want to ask one question is what's the one thing in the legal profession that you would like to see changed? Me instability
Megan Mathias 29:36
is an issue. There's so many things it's but instability is very, it's very hard when it's hard to deal with because, well, when I was a young lawyer, I wanted to I had my natural tendency, my personality, as you can tell is I'm not going to step down to a belief but that's not how you handle that in a courtroom. Obviously, I say this to people a lot. I often have to listen to somebody lying to the judge or You know, misrepresenting what's happening here without, you know, launching in the woods, you know, a bunch of swear words when you're a young lawyer and someone's treating you a certain way, and they're treating you a certain way because you're female, and they think they can intimidate you or whatever. So it's it's instability, but also other issues, I helped form a group called flash, which is force of lawyers against sexual harassment, there's been some, there's a lot of that in the industry, which doesn't get talked about. So I'm in a number of groups that are fighting that issue and, and working really hard, hard on it. So that's much worse than different than instability. But it's the truth how you're treated as a lawyer. That sounds like a first world problem, but it really is horrible to go through it. I know many, many of my friends that have gone through it, and how do you handle it in the moment? You know, are you dealing with a partner who has authority over you? Are you going to lose your job? It's going to look bad? Do you sue someone I mean, it's there's a lot that can just derail your whole career because you were sexually harassed. And then the day to day incivility just generally, is the thing I think the legal industry really needs to take on how women are treated specifically in a courtroom, you know, opposing counsels, undermining you with things like okay, sweetheart, and the way I addressed that is like, okay, you're gonna eat those words later. And across cleaning it, but but there is a real serious problem that we have. And now we're starting to talk about it more. My the flash group has been really, really great at articles and getting male allies in and we're having, we're asking people in firms to sign pledges to deal with when things come up, because it's serious, and it needs to be addressed right away, because it can derail the careers of all these women.
Ron Bockstahler 31:37
So are you seeing an improvement? Is there are we getting better?
Megan Mathias 31:40
I think I see a lot of awareness raising, I do think I don't know if it's getting better, because everybody doesn't report but we hear a lot about it, because we're allowed about that. So and we have mentors assigned people to help them navigate things. I do think that having more people aware that this is going on, and is a really important development. So I always try to stay positive and optimistic. And I do think we're making progress there.
Ron Bockstahler 32:05
So I lied. That was supposed to be my last question. But you know, my next question is, are we seeing a crack in the glass ceiling for women, minorities in law?
Megan Mathias 32:13
We are, I mean, the metrics aren't great. So we get these reports out from the National Association of Women lawyers, for example. And sometimes you're like, wow, that's brutal. But now there's more than 50% of people graduating from law schools are female, there's a lot of movement towards genuine diversity and inclusion programs within law firms still tough. It's still It's why I have pink walls at my firm because we send a message. But I do think there's been some a lot of progress made, and people are very aware, and the clients are now demanding it, which is killer, because before the clients are demanding it, you're sort of barking up a tree when clients are demanding it and you're saying, look, you can you can potentially get more work or whatever, you can make the business case for diversity, unfortunately. And they now it's people are more aware. And so I do think we're making Alright,
Ron Bockstahler 33:01
but your clients are demanding it. And I know we're gonna run short on time, but you just keep I love talking to you. You're You're wonderful. Now, let's talk about the Coca Cola GC. Remember, when he demanded law firms had I think it's 20%, he was looking for a minority representation. And you know, three months later, he's gone. So are they really? Do they really? Are they able to do it? Or do we still have the old boy network at the back, you know, in the back of the room, still kind of dictating What's going on?
Megan Mathias 33:24
Yeah, oh, there's definitely the old boy network, for sure. In Chicago is different than other places, you know, even in counties in Illinois, that's a whole different ballgame. But, but I do think it's making a difference. Because you can also say, in addition to why you should do this, morally, ethically, and just because you're a good human, you should also expect to get more business because some clients are, and I work a lot with younger, more diverse companies, with younger leaders, and people are absolutely demanding it at that level. So it just kind of depends on the playground you're in and my playground includes a lot of women and people of color. So we're we all demanded and expected and it's really, really fun to work with a really diverse team that gets it.
Ron Bockstahler 34:07
Well, I'm glad that you're out there people like you're out there. Of course, four of my six children are women or young lady, so you know, I'm looking for a better life from them for them. So more power, I hope we would make some major changes. Thank you.
Megan Mathias 34:18
Thanks for the opportunity to speak with you. What's fun,
Ron Bockstahler 34:20
absolutely is there you want to leave the audience with like one final thought with your candidacy for the 45th Ward, your law firm, anything you want. Well, we
Megan Mathias 34:28
love to help. Like I said companies run by forward thinkers. So we have a full service firm that can help in run even, you know, latest NGC plus do type work. It's my favorite thing to do these days. And as it relates to my word I just want to meet I want to shake everybody's hand in the whole world. And listen, that's what I'm on my listening tour right now. So I want to hear from everyone. So check us out at Megan for 45th word that
Ron Bockstahler 34:53
calm. Awesome, Megan. Thanks for joining us today. It's great having you on love your insight and best of luck on the campaign.
Megan Mathias 34:59
Thanks so much. appreciate your support.
Ron Bockstahler 35:01
Thanks, everyone joining us today, we will talk to you again next week. I believe we are talking about family planning estate planning next week. So look forward to a great show next week. All right, that's it.
Megan Mathias 35:10
Awesome. Thanks so much. Awesome. Cool.
Ron Bockstahler 35:12
Doctor, I just love talking to you. So I think, Oh, thank
Megan Mathias 35:14
you. That was really cool. I appreciate the opportunity.
Ron Bockstahler 35:17
You've got so much going for you. I learned a lot about you today. So that's really cool, happy to help in any way we can. Also, when you get more when things are rolling, or you want to do it we can have I know when people run for judge, we did some fundraising, or introduction parties at the Summer centers. Let's do it. That was kind of fun. Yeah, know how that helps you.
Megan Mathias 35:35
I'm in these groups that kind of bubbled up during COVID to help all the lawyers figure everything out. I think it would be cool for you to come and speak one day to those group of Lady lawyers. They're all Family Law Attorneys, like there's like 60 in the group, but usually, like 2025 show up every Wednesday, on the calendar. And I think he has some claims out of it.
Ron Bockstahler 35:54
I mean, I want you know, for me, it's more about getting clients about changing the practice of law. This is this is my passion is I really want to make practicing law say easier, more enjoyable, so we can get legal services to the 74% of Americans who can't afford them. Absolutely. You know, we just got to change the way things are done. And that's kind of what the premise of what we're doing. So
Megan Mathias 36:12
Awesome. Well, great. I look. All right. I'll see you in a few weeks.
Ron Bockstahler 36:16
Sounds good. Okay, bye. Bye. Bye.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai