Mary Jo Larson

Southfield, MI

I recently participated in a seminar on strength-based leadership and learned that one of my major strengths is that I have a passion for learning. I laughed out loud when I read the recommendation for a career: consulting in a highly regulated area that requires keeping up with detailed regulations. By what seemed at the time a random sequence of events, starting with graduation from University of Michigan Law School without ever having heard of ERISA, this is exactly where I have happily found myself. I did not even realize that keeping up with the regulations was the part I loved--although I confess to having stayed up late at night in bed excitedly reading the final 401(a)(4) regulations when they were issued. I have thrived on many other aspects of this practice unrelated to learning one more new set of complex rules: the steady relationship with my clients, knowing I can help them day in and day out; the discipline of translating complex matters into comprehensible strategy; helping to further whatever social safety net our culture has managed to cobble together, including by speaking and writing articles; the camaraderie of the smart and caring professionals in the field, particularly the other attorneys; and training bright young attorneys to also thrive in this practice.