&
The Fixer
Nothing makes estate lawyer Ruth I. Rounding madder than
witnessing injustice. Colleagues at Kohnen & Patton say
(good-naturedly) that her middle initial stands for “Irate”
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED AND EDITED BY BETH TAYLOR
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROSS VAN PELT
Q: When you started practicing, was
the reality different from what you had
envisioned?
A: I think what’s different is that you can’t
just yell and say, “Look, here are all my
facts; this has to be fixed; this is the way it
is; I’m right.” You have to be more subtle
and compromise … build a case and think
about what case the other side has, and
maybe think about it from their point of
view. The judge has to justify his decision or
the IRS agent has to make his numbers or
the attorney on the other side has to justify
to his client. What can you do that they can
hang their hat on? How can you be more
strategic? Or maybe you can get further
being quiet.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: Helping my clients feel satisfied and
making them feel good. Making them feel
that it’s going to be OK. Often [when] I
write an email, the first sentence is, “Don’t
panic; it’s going to be OK.”
Q: Why did you go into law?
A: I really loved crime shows. I’ve loved
them my whole life. When I say I love crime
shows, I love problem-solving. I was never
going to be a criminal lawyer, but I hate,
hate injustice. If someone isn’t getting
the right results in their property tax or
[in] civil rights—any kind of situation—I
hate when somebody’s wronged. I’m a
pathological fixer. Little-known fact: My
middle initial “I” stands for "irate"... over
some real or perceived injustice, ineptitude
or inconvenience. [It’s] my perpetual
state of being. Nickname given to me by
colleagues. In fun, of course!
