Meet Ryan Maesen

We recently connected with Ryan Maesen and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Life is a series of ups and down. Early on, I was taught that it’s all about getting back up when you get knocked down. As long as you learn from it, it is okay to have setbacks. I have also learned that when you make a mistake; like trying something that doesn’t work out, move it. You made the best decision in the moment but it didn’t work. That d0esn’t make it wrong; it just didn’t work out.
The legal profession is intensely competitive. In my area, one the nation’s least selective law schools operated a campus for about 15 years which flooded the market with alot competitors. Many of them really shouldn’t be lawyers. Many will lie on their websites to win clients. I have to remember no to stoop to their level and conduct myself according to my own values.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I have been an attorney since 2006. I graduated from Michigan State University College of Law. I also have an MBA from Grand Valley State University. I got my undergraduate degree from Aquinas College in Business Administration in 2001.
I practice criminal defense because I truly believe in the rights of each individual no matter what they are accused of doing (or what they in fact did). The government is powerful. They havre unlimited resources. You don’t realize the fear of being approached by police officers until you have experience and seen it on the body cameras. It is truly terrifying. I get why people sometimes do stupid things in those situations.
There is no feeling like knowing that you helped keep a person out of prison for a crime they didn’t commit. I have had people looking at life in prison who walk out of the courtroom in tears. My eyes tear up too. Each case is unique. It never gets old.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Law school teaches you “how to think like a lawyer” but it doesn’t prepare you for the human element of the job. You are reading appellate opinions all day in law school. That is not the case for most practicing lawyers. I read maybe 3 or 4 cases a month. Clients are scared and you need to be on their side and be a psychologist in a sense. I have had to took several people out of taking their own lives due to the stress of the situation. That was not something I was expecting.
I would focus less on how you think and more on how you feel. You need to empathize and get in your client’s shoes to tell their story. And don’t be afraid to try cases. Many second rate lawyers avoid this; and that is a disservice to them and the public. They are limiting the scope and quality of the representation they can provide.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

There are several books that have been very helpful. It sounds cliche but the Bible (The New American Bible) provides a moral compass for day to day life.

As far as legal books are concerned, the best is Trial Practice Manual for Criminal Defense Lawyers by Robert Rose III. It primarily deals with how to present your case as trial. It’s worth its’ weight in gold.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maesenlaw.com