Meet #MOLawyers: Anne-Marie Brockland

Anne-Marie Brockland is a partner at Casey, Devoti & Brockland in St. Louis and president of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis Board of Governors. From Katy, TX, Brockland graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law and joined The Missouri Bar in 2007. 

Why did you want to become a lawyer?  
In college, I worked with children with autism, and so when I first thought of going to law school, I saw it as a way for me to help children with disabilities get the services they need through the school districts. Obviously, as a trial lawyer, I took a turn from that – but I do get a lot of pleasure out of helping my birth injury clients in that regard when they need it.

You recently became the first millennial to lead BAMSL as president of its Board of Governors. What does that milestone mean to you and the future of the profession? 
Millennials make up the largest segment of the workforce today. I see my ascension to the presidency of BAMSL as just a natural extension of that fact. The legal profession has been one of the slowest to turn the page when it comes to work-life balance and has notoriously been resistant to change. But with the largest makeup of the workforce being millennials, and millennials now reaching higher positions, I believe the profession is in the midst of a revamping. We are a hard-working generation, but also expect to be treated fairly and enjoy feeling a sense of loyalty in our work environment.

How does being a millennial lawyer influence the way you lead? 
Technically, I’m a geriatric millennial (although I prefer, ahem, “seasoned” millennial). As such, I have one foot in the door of the digital world and the other in the analog world. I both understand why some feel they need face-to-face interaction in the workplace and others prefer to use technology to help make the workday more efficient. There is a happy medium there, and good leaders must find it for their organizations to stay relevant (and fully staffed). We are working hard to accomplish that.

What is a unique skill you bring to your job? 
I don’t like to do things a certain way just because they have always been done that way. I’m also an “idea” person. My husband tells me I have a very powerful brain, although he does not mean it as a compliment!

If you had your own late-night talk show, who would you invite as your first guest? 
Jad Abumrad, founder and former host of the public radio program Radiolab.

Editor’s note: These responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. Do you know someone who should be featured in Meet #MOLawyers? Let us know by emailing nhillen@mobar.org.