by James Salem
Staff Writer
Susan Haag is an attorney who is completing her first year at Spohrer Wilner Maxwell & Matthews. Additionally, Haag is an accomplished triathlete and has been competing in triathlons for 13 years.
Her favorite triathlon was one in Brazil.
“It was my first Ironman,” said Haag. “That’s a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. It was also with some friends from Jacksonville, so it was especially memorable.”
Haag grew up in Louisville, Ky., and her family moved to Jacksonville before her senior year in high school.
“It was ridiculous because I had to take gym class my senior year,” said Haag. “At the time it was insulting, but now I am practicing law and I’m a triathlete, so it looks like it was good for something.”
After graduating from high school, Haag went to Smith College in Massachusetts, where she majored in American history. She graduated with honors in 1987, after “writing an honors thesis on Northern and Southern revivalists, comparing religions in the North and the South.”
Haag took a year off to work as a paralegal assistant to Judge Peter Fryefield mainly because she did not get into the law schools of her choice. She applied to Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Washington & Lee, and Georgetown, and was rejected by all of them, not because of her resume, (she was president of the Student Board, active in sports, and graduated with honors); but because her LSAT scores were not very good.
“It was simply devastating because my resume was perfect other than that,” she said. “I worked so hard in a really top school and a four-hour test was not a good representation of my skills in the courtroom.”
A year later, Haag was accepted to the University of Florida School of Law and she graduated in 1992. It was during law school that Haag became interested in triathlons.
“When I entered the first one, I had to borrow my friend’s bike,” she said. “I won first prize. Ever since then, I’ve just been hooked.”
Recently, Haag competed in triathlons in Idaho and Spain. She has even convinced some of her friends to participate.
“Spain was fantastic,” said Haag. “It was a race called World Long Course Championship. It was a 2.5-mile swim through the Mediterranean Sea, a 70-mile bike ride through little towns and up mountains and an 18-mile run. During the swim, the view was so gorgeous I hated having to put my head through the water.”
Upcoming events for Haag include an off-road triathlon in Hanna Park in September, the Beaches Adventures Race in October and Ironman Florida in November.
“I have a vibrant personality, and I love people,” she said. “I love getting people enthusiastic about law and triathlons. I probably compete about 45 weeks out of the 52 in a year, in races such as kayaking, canoeing, skiing and snowshoeing.”
After law school Haag worked for the State Attorney’s Office for 10 years.
She still holds the current record at the State Attorney’s Office for the most trials in one year.
“At the State Attorney’s Office you get a lot of trial experience,” she said.
Last year, Haag decided to try something different so she joined Spohrerwilner.
“I wanted to the opportunity to try cases with a different flavor to them,” she said.
In her spare time, Haag loves to read and to try new restaurants. Her major interest is physically challenging herself, whether by bike ride, boat or rock climbing.