In his Marina Del Rey home, Attorney Michael P. Ehline calmly explains to me his plan to protect the citizens of Los Angeles, make California a safer place, have kids, support his family and retire “like everyone else…” Well, Attorney Ehline is definitely not like “everyone else.” To begin with, he shatters the usual stereotype of Attorneys being egomaniacs by telling me, “Look, I’m a servant of the people – it’s a privilege for me to serve you and fight on your behalf.” Whoa! Okay, let’s back up and figure out “what went RIGHT!” in Attorney Ehline’s childhood to develop this “radical” thinking.
ATT. EHLINE: “My father is a Marine who did two tours in Vietnam, so I grew up wanting to be a Marine and do my duty as an American. A lot of kids in school thought my patriotism was strange, but I grew up having honor, integrity and love for this country.”
HW: “You went into the service right out of high school?”
ATT. EHLINE: “Yes. I would have made a career there but I was injured and left with an Honorable Discharge.”
HW: “So, what was your next move?”
ATT. EHLINE: “Well, I got into sales, high-pressure sales – commission only – and it wasn’t easy, but I learned a lot about people and reading a person’s body language. All skills I use today.”
HW: “And how did you transition from sales into becoming a Lawyer?”
ATT. EHLINE: “Actually, I always liked the concept of being a Lawyer and defending people, and I’d heard that paralegals were sort of the backbone of great Attorneys, so I went to school and became a great paralegal; I even started my own paralegal business helping people fight traffic tickets. My next big step was enrolling in the California Bar’s Law Office Study Program, where I studied directly under Attorneys and Judges. Then a Lawyer I worked for as a paralegal, Gary Dordick, a very prominent Beverly Hills Attorney, wrote a letter of recommendation that got me into the University of West Los Angeles for Law. So, now I was working as a paralegal during the day in the Law Office Study Program, and going to Law School at night. I actually passed the Bar while I was still in Law School, so I was walking around campus as a Practicing Attorney – it was cool.”
HW: “I have to tell you, Att. Ehline, you’re incredibly down to earth. I imagine your clients feel very comfortable talking with you.”
ATT. EHLINE: “My clients feel comfortable with me because they know I’ve been out in the real world. I’ve had to eat the “pork and beans” in order to survive, and worked on jobs where I didn’t even know how I’d pay my rent the next month… My clients relate with me because they know I understand what they’re going through… I’m just a regular guy who worked really hard to get in a position where I can help people, and that’s what it’s all about – helping people. Getting results.”
HW: “What are some ‘red flags’ our readers should look out for when choosing a Personal Injury Attorney?”
ATT. EHLINE: “Watch out for any P.I. Attorney willing to work for less than our standard thirty-three and a third percent fee, because what they do to make up for your discount is take on many cases, which means your case gets less attention. Remember, P.I. Attorneys are like banks, we have to pay for the expert testimony and court fees and everything else out of our pocket, so I’m very selective with the cases I take. I have to believe very strongly in my client and their cause. Fewer cases mean I get to give my clients a lot of personal care – I stay in constant communication with my clients. Even if I’m in court I’ll use my Blackberry to correspond with them.”
HW: “As a parting comment, what should our readers know about Personal Injury Attorneys in general?”
ATT. EHLINE: “Personal Injury Attorneys, or Tort Attorneys, force companies to make safe products by attacking their checkbooks when they cut corners of safety at the public’s expense… We’re responsible for protecting you.”
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