by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
In the early morning hours, it’s not uncommon for attorney Don Maciejewski to bolt upright in his bed wondering about the next day’s schedule. Luckily for Maciejewski, his legal assistant sleeps next to him.
Don and Judy have been partners in law practice for 13 years and partners in marriage for six. Some might say Don’s luck in having 24-hour access to his legal staff is Judy’s misfortune, but she doesn’t see it that way. The occasional sleepless night is a small price to pay for the happiness she’s found, both at home and in the office, with Don she says.
Downtown law firms are filled with family members practicing side by side. And like the Maciejewskis, many of those relationships find the line blurry separating firm and family. Weekend barbecues turn into strategy sessions, depositions wrap up with talk about grandchildren.
Husband and Wife
When the Maciejewskis feel Don’s legal practice (he’s a partner at Zisser, Robison, Brown, Nowlis and Maciejewski) intruding on their personal lives, they make it a point to take a step back, eat a nice dinner and focus on each other. That’s not to say they leave the office formality completely behind. Judy still schedules the dinner in her appointment book.
Fittingly, it was the Zisser firm’s partners that played matchmaker for the couple. Begging Judy in 1991 to come work as assistant and paralegal to Don. With 20 years of experience at law firms, she was the only one tough enough to work with Maciejewski, who learned his leadership style in a 20-year military career.
“We formed the perfect team,” said Judy. “I’m southern, laid-back, some of that rubbed off on Don. He was from the military and from up north, some of that style rubbed off on me.”
It was the same qualities that made Don an effective lawyer that eventually convinced Judy to accept his invitation to dinner. They worked together for seven years before he asked. He still remembers her initial reaction.
“She said, ‘Hell no, I don’t date lawyers,” said Maciejewski.
But Judy was won over by the care Don showed for his clients, many of them victims of accidents. A widow herself, Judy could empathize with the clients who had lost loved ones. It didn’t take the couple long to realize they made a great team in and out of the office.
“We became very prosperous and very successful very quickly,” said Don.
Prosperous enough that Don promises his wife she can retire in four years. That will leave him with one problem.
“I’ll need to hire three people to replace her.”