Jesse Brodsky, Head of Membership, Lawyers of Distinction
The Head of Membership Services at Lawyers of Distinction, Jesse Brodsky, has one of the most important roles in this organization. Given that the business model is based on a membership count of qualified attorneys, it is up to Mr. Brodsky to ensure that only best out of the best are granted access.
Lawyers of Distinction is a fee-for-service organization that recognizes excellence in the practice of law. That includes the top attorneys from every state. In order to join, one must pass a detailed nomination process that will evaluate their educational background, hours of annual pro bono service, adherence to the standards of ethics, and career’s success when it comes to their casework.
If one proves to be amongst the top performs in their state, they are offered basic, featured, or distinguished membership. These come along with a slightly varying pack of benefits that include office and website decorations as well as tools that can help boost the demand for their firm. Historically, joining the company has been viewed as an outstanding accomplishment followed by an increased recognizability in the local and nationwide market.
What are some things that you love?
I always liked studying the Constitution and business laws. In my high school, we were required to attain a certain number of class hours that are related to government studies. Those are probably the ones that I went through the easiest as I had a natural interest in the topic. Also, I come from a family of attorneys and businessmen who passed a lot of their knowledge on me. As a consequence, I love practicing law and working in upper-management roles. In fact, my career has turned out to be focused on a field that is perfectly catered for all of my interest. Moreover, seeing how I can go through a working day and interact with dozens of people helps me grow as an individual. Looking back at my days of college, one of the things I loved the most was helping others. Hence why the first on-campus job I ever held was related to tutoring other students. To this day, my love for human interaction has not decreased.
What is your favorite TV show?
I am a huge fan of “Law and Order”. Believe it or not, I have seen every single episode of all 20 seasons that have been recorded thus far. Most of my friends, however, do not support this hobby of mine. I also like a TV show called “Scandal”. It is a drama-based series that deals with the White House and all the endeavors that take place in Washington. Those tend to take up most of my free time so I do not really have any other shows that I follow religiously.
What do you wish you knew before starting a business?
A thought I have had is that maybe I should have looked into double majors. I enjoyed getting a bachelor’s degree that revolved around politics, but I think that even a minor in accounting or finance would have been beneficial. I overlooked those opportunities because I never saw myself in a position where I am in charge of many non-lawyer duties. Although I managed to catch up fast, it would have been an easier transition if I had some exposure to these responsibilities sooner. Nowadays, the only advice I give to people is to expect the unexpected. I mean, you can go to school for one thing yet your career could involve many unforeseen turns.
What is one thing you’ve learned since starting your career?
I learned how to help people legally restructure their business and go from a sole proprietorship to a C corporation, for example. In reality, it is almost impossible to distinguish one single thing that I have learned which stands above all others. Working as an attorney comes with a ton of new information that one has to study every day.
What was your first job?
It was a college gig that I turned into a mini business. I started peer tutoring on campus and eventually switched to an online-based model where I scheduled the vast majority of my sessions outside of the school. That helped me increase my revenues as there was no employer to take a cut of my earnings. It is also when I got to meet something called the “self-employment tax” and it was not the most thrilling experience. In retrospect, however, I learned a lot about the proper organization and time management given that it was a job where I was working on my own schedule. Although most of the skills were not transferable to my current profession, being able to support myself while going to school remains something that I am very proud of.
