STATE BAR DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT
Will Korn 2025-05-12 12:41:33
The State Bar Director Spotlight highlights a member of the bar’s volunteer board of directors. Learn more at texasbar.com/board.
Michael J. WYNNE
HOMETOWN: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK
POSITION: PARTNER IN GREGOR WYNNE ARNEY IN HOUSTON
BOARD MEMBER: DISTRICT 4, PLACE 4 SINCE 2023
I WAS BORN IN SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AND GREW UP IN MARCELLUS, NEW YORK, a charming village about 12 miles west of Syracuse, at the eastern end of the Finger Lakes region of central New York. I attended public school and usually walked to and from school, often through the snow, but not uphill in both directions as my parents claimed to have done. My late father was a professor of French at Syracuse University. I bleed orange to this day. I am grateful to my father for instilling in me a love of reading; I credit the snow for steering me to Texas.
SEVERE CHILDHOOD ASTHMA TORPEDOED MY SHOT AT BEING A QUARTERBACK. In biology class, I fainted when the teacher dissected a cow’s eyeball. So, becoming a doctor was out. Soon after, my social studies teacher, a military history expert and Pink Floyd aficionado, encouraged me to try out for mock trial. I became lead lawyer, and the team won successive county championships. I had found my calling. I’m doing the same thing today that I did at 15.
I CHOSE TO SPECIALIZE IN WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINAL DEFENSE after I saw the impact a white-collar criminal defense lawyer can have on the lives of those under federal investigation, those charged, and their families. Counsel must shepherd the client and family through what is often the most traumatic period of their lives—dealing not only with the case but also with its financial, emotional, spiritual, and psychological consequences. It is humbling, meaningful, and, thankfully, often successful. It’s also very gratifying. I have been blessed.
SINCE FIRST BECOMING A STATE BAR OF TEXAS DIRECTOR, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF AN INDEPENDENT STATE BAR HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY. We in the legal profession in Texas all owe gratitude to the past presidents, directors, and permanent staff through whose efforts we remain a self-regulating entity. Lawyers know best what is best for the governance of lawyers.
GOING FORWARD, I WOULD EMPHASIZE THE CONSTITUENCY SERVICE ELEMENT of serving on the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors. The board members can often serve as an interface between the individual constituent lawyer and those responsible for administrative functions. Too often, a lawyer’s first experience with the State Bar is negative and frustrating, whether navigating the advertising review requirements or the grievance system. We need to get the word out that lawyers can reach out to their local district directors, who, although they have no role in the grievance process, can be of real service and help point them in the right direction.
THE TOP ISSUE FACING TEXAS ATTORNEYS TODAY IS THE DIMINUTION OF MENTORSHIP AND ON-THE-JOB LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. Law firms are becoming more and more siloed. For better or worse, law is being transformed from a profession into a business. I do not have a solution; we are not turning back. What we can do is to help aspiring lawyers understand what they are getting into and to equip them to thrive. It is up to us to foster those learning opportunities.
I WOULD FIRST ADVISE A LAW STUDENT TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO READ EVERYTHING ASSIGNED. One can’t. Second, I advise focusing on practice examinations—applying legal knowledge is what will matter in real life. Third, I’d make mental notes of the initially obscure-seeming terminology: The concepts come back at unexpected times decades later. I would also advise newly licensed lawyers to seek out mentors. I would advise identifying a specialty as early as possible. That helps one occupy a niche in the competitive legal market. Finally, relatedly, is to identify ways to create a steady stream of solid clients. After serving for 12 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, I returned to private practice and decided to run for the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors. I wanted to give back to the profession and to my adopted home state, both of which have given me so much.
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