Missouri Lawyers Media Missouri legal news and public notices
Member, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, Kansas City
Practice Areas: Toxic Torts, Product Liability, Commercial, Cyber-Security & Data Privacy
Law School: Southern Illinois University
For Greg Odom, winning his first trial stands out as his best moment as an attorney.
“While trial is an incredibly stressful and difficult experience, there is nothing else like it for me,” he writes. “Seeing the hard work payoff is incredibly gratifying, and because cases rarely go to trial, this is a unique, exciting, and fast-paced experience that doesn’t come along very often.”
Odom didn’t go into law for the rush of the trial experience. Rather, he was drawn to a career of reading, writing, politics and public speaking.
Law wasn’t his first career choice either.
“My plan to become a dentist did not pan out, so I decided to pursue a legal profession,” he writes. “I thought being a lawyer would better correspond with my interests.”
What advice do you have for young lawyers?
Learn to prioritize. It will help you in any practice area and it will benefit you outside your professional life. This is one of the biggest challenges young attorneys face as they navigate from law school to practice.
What is the best career advice you have received? The most important skill in litigation is writing clearly, concisely and tailored to your audience. A mentor emphasized to me how so much of our work involves communication: with clients, opposing counsel, the court, witnesses, and others. Throughout my career, I have regularly seen the impact of good (and bad) communication.
What is your favorite thing to do away from work?
Spend time with my wife and twins. We love to hike, ride bikes and travel.
