After graduating in 2018 from Florida Coastal School of Law, Christopher Brochu worked in a small business litigation law firm until April 2019, when he struck out on his own and opened the Law Office of Christopher J. Brochu PLLC.
What inspired you to become a lawyer? I always had an inclination that I wanted to help people. While in college, I interned for an assistant prosecutor named J. Scott Hucks, who let me attend hearings, interviews, trials and assist him with trial preparation. Although my law practice involves civil ligation, my experience with Mr. Hucks gave me an inside look at our judicial system and helped cultivate my passion for litigation. To this day, Mr. Hucks remains a great mentor and close friend.
What have you learned since graduating from law school? Law school helped to teach me how to think, but I gained practical experience while working at firms and practicing law. Through my experiences, I have learned that many service members and military families do not know about their legal rights or benefits. For instance, a majority of service members pay for traumatic injury coverage under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection and may qualify for compensation, yet a majority have never heard of it. As a result, I’ve made it my firm’s mission to help as many military families as possible.
How do you relate your undergraduate degree to your practice of law? My communication degree presented the opportunity to focus on public speaking and effective communication styles.
What’s your strategy for growing your law firm? Networking. Jacksonville is filled with wonderful attorneys and I’m showing many firms ways to maximize their military clients’ claims. One of my mentors, attorney Bill Scott, has provided valuable insight about growth and networking. Bill has introduced me to many attorneys. I enjoy networking with any attorney and I’m blessed that so many attorneys trust me with their military clients. Most firms have a desire to maximize their clients’ claim value and my firm helps put more money in their clients’ pockets.
If I could change anything in the legal system, I would ...The military should do more to educate service members about their legal rights and our legal system should provide greater access to veterans’ courts, with a focus on alternative forms of treatment and punishment for military members living with mental health issues and PTSD, along with finding alternatives to prescription drugs and opioids.
What volunteer service do you perform and why? One of my favorite activities is working as a mentor with the Jacksonville Bar Association Young Lawyers Section Ribault High School Young Lawyers Program. It is designed to help students apply to college, register for the SAT/ACT and compete in a mock trial competition and provides mentees with general support and guidance. Over the course of my life, I’ve had tremendous support, mentors and role models. I don’t know that I have done enough to earn it all but I’m grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me. I feel a great responsibility to give back to our community and I believe that our society should invest in our youth. It’s my honor and privilege to have the opportunity to support our next generation of students and leaders.