Introducing Emily Adams

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to post on MFAN’s blog! The attorneys at MFAN substantially impacted the way I thought about practicing law, and because of them, I am in the process of building a solo law firm—even though solo practice never crossed my mind in law school.

Law school, although challenging, was a wonderfully exciting and stretching experience for me. I attended the University of Minnesota Law School, and I loved it. I ended up clerking after law school for the Minnesota Court of Appeals for a fantastic judge who mentored me and had very high standards. I learned immensely; words mattered and had to be chosen carefully; research must be accurate and recent. After my appellate clerkship, I clerked on the Federal District Court for the District of Minnesota for another very intelligent judge. I learned firsthand that quality lawyering mattered, especially with frantic district-court schedules.

During the two years I spent clerking, I saw many law school colleagues progress in their careers; many of them moved to different firms or in-house right around the two-years-out mark. I was surprised with how many expressed frustration with their employment. Because I had two small children by the time I finished my clerkship, I was especially keen to the hours worked and the practicality of daycare schedules and sick leave. My husband was in the process of becoming an attorney, also, so I became aware of how two-attorney households managed everything. And I was a little discouraged.

I had eight months between the time I finished my federal clerkship (and had my second baby) and the day I would be leaving Minnesota for Utah. My husband was finishing law school, and we decided to move to Utah to be closer to family. Given the short time period I would be in Minnesota and the fact that I was recovering from having a second child, I didn’t think that traditional law firm practice would work. Instead, I emailed several attorneys in Minnesota to see if I could do some contract work for that eight-month period. One attorney bit, and I ended up doing research and motion-drafting for her from home. Because her files were on the cloud, I had all the information I needed at my fingertips. And I even took a few depositions and did an oral argument before I left.

I loved the flexibility and control of that sort of practice. And then I met some freelancing attorneys in Minnesota who had set up freelancing firms. They researched and drafted motions for a variety of attorneys, and they loved their practice. Yes, it had its stressors, but they seemed very satisfied.

So when I moved to Utah, after a long process of figuring out what I really wanted to do, I decided to give solo practice a try—freelancing and appellate work. The practice has grown. I have written a variety of motions for several attorneys. I also directly represent clients on appeal, and I have several appellate cases that are in the works. I have thoroughly enjoyed solo practice, and I look forward to several more successful years!

Emily Adams started her own firm, Adams Legal LLC, where she focuses on appellate and freelance work. Before starting her own firm, Emily graduated magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the University of Minnesota Law School… She clerked for two years on the state appellate and federal district courts. She then worked for a small law firm. Emily is licensed in the state and federal courts of Utah and Minnesota, the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. .

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