Justin Mallot [pronounced muh-lot] is the newest attorney at Marks Gray law firm on the Southbank. He is the son of Jerry Mallot, vice president of Cornerstone at the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.
WHEN DID HE JOIN
THE FIRM?
Early August
WHAT DID HE
DO BEFORE?
Last year he was working in Washington, D.C., for the chairperson of the United States International Trade Commission doing research, preparing economic reports and writing speeches. Previously, he spent a summer as a law clerk in the General Counsels office.
EDUCATION
Florida State University is where he studied international business and marketing. His law degree is from Georgetown University.
WHAT DOes He ENJOY ABOUT YOUR WORK?
“I like that I’m involved in a number of areas of the law. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been exposed to civil litigation, medical malpractice, employment law and a number of different areas. I appreciate being able to learn about a lot of different things.”
WHAT DOes He
PRACTICE NOW?
“Marks Gray has me all over the board, which I really like because it’s helping me decide where to go. I think I’d like my career to head into a commercial litigation or business law variant. Civil and commercial litigation is what I mainly do right now.”
WHAT IS his BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
“Especially coming in as a brand-new attorney, there is quite a learning curve. Much of it is learning the ropes plus learning how to deal with clients and attorneys. I really enjoy the challenge of it.”
HOMETOWN
Wichita, Kan.
WHAT BROUGHT
him TO TOWN?
Mallot’s father moved them to Tampa when he was in high school. After college, he worked for CitiStreet in benefits administration as an analyst and in software support for their operations department.“I lived in Jacksonville on and off for six years. I keep coming back. My family and friends and the beach brought me here.”Mallot returned to Jacksonville again in June after living in Washington, D.C. for three years.
THE MULTIPLYING MALLOTS
Mallot and his wife, Kenje, are expecting their first child, a girl, in February. The couple married at Grand Teton National
Park and now reside in south Jacksonville Beach.
FUN STUFF
When he’s not billing hours, Mallot enjoys the great outdoors. His passions include golf, hiking, camping and a day at the beach. On rainy days, he prefers to surf the television for “The West Wing” or the movie “Fletch.” Other interests include college football, dining at Marker 32 or reading a beatnik novel.
WHAT DOes HE THINK
OF DOWNTOWN?
“I think downtown is going through a great Renaissance. It’s turning into a great city that will be a really fun place to live in the next 10 years. We looked around and decided this is where we wanted to be. There’s a lot of great stuff going on here. In D.C. I took the Metro [D.C.’s rapid-transit system] every day. The Skyway doesn’t quite compare with that. It probably needs to go a few more places, but I think they’ve got a great concept. It can be and will be a great thing for the city.”
—by Monica Tsai