Ryan Christopher Plecha

• Where did you grow up?

            I grew up in Redford, Michigan. I played little league baseball throughout my entire childhood and have many memories of those glorious summer days on the diamond.  I generally played first-base and was not necessarily the fastest kid on the team.  One play has stuck in my mind for over 20 years.  A hard ground-ball was hit to me and I dove to my left and was able to catch the ball, but when I looked up I knew I would not have the time to get up and get over to touch the base to get the runner out.  So I improvised and barrel rolled over to the base and tagged it with my glove in time to get the runner out.  I remember everyone cheering and laughing at the same time for my unusual tactics.  I was happy and proud of my creativity and getting the out.  I also received the game-ball signed by my entire team, which I still have to this day.  Always be creative and never give up.

• Outside of family, who was an important mentor in your life and how did this person impact your career?

            John (Jack) Lundeen, Esq.

Jack taught me two valuable lessons, one explicitly and one by example.  First, he told me that I needed to be more assertive and to go after what I wanted and not to let shyness or fear of failure to get in my way.  I never forgot that conversation, and the transformation was not an overnight process and is by no means complete. I always knew that I needed to break through my shyness to achieve the goals I desired, but hearing it from someone else really catalyzed the process. 

Secondly, having the opportunity to live and work with Jack at his Lake Oswego, Oregon law office, during my Kalamazoo College externship taught me a very important lesson, lawyers are not cookie cutter shapes made from a particular mold and the best lawyers are those that are true to their own personality. Jack’s personality was not what I would pictured as the traditional attorney, but he was his own person and comfortable in his own skin. He did not change whether in court, with clients or out shooting pool.  I learned that I do not need to change who I am to be successful either, and that is the greatest lesson I could have learned, even if it took me a few years to realize and appreciate.

• What was your first job? What did you learn from the experience?

My first job was in an IGA grocery store in Redford, Michigan.  The first thing that I learned was not to mix bleach and ammonia while mopping!  But in reflecting back on my time as stock boy/bagger/meat slicer/cart-getter/etc., I did learn many valuable lessons, which include the value of independence, responsibility, work-ethic, customer service, and the joy of doing a job well, even if no one else notices. I also learned that sometimes the most undesirable and tedious job can be the most important and that every job deserves my best.  Of course, my first job also taught me the joy of receiving a paycheck.   

• Name a big blue-sky goal that you would like to accomplish in your career.

My big career goal is to have no regrets and to know that no matter what the result I did the best that I could for my clients in the most ethical, compassionate and zealous manner possible.

• You travel back in the time to the era when you were in law school, and you find your law school self sitting in the library. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to yourself?

The practice of law teaches you many things, which is why we practice law and do not perfect law.  Many of the lessons I have learned in my post-law school years leads to a similar conclusion, knowing the law is only half of the battle to being a successful attorney.  I would tell my law-school self to hone my networking skills, practice public speaking abilities, improve critical and creative thinking skills and become more self-aware.  Along with that message, I would tell my law-school self to have more fun because the demands and pressures of a career in the law do not get any less after graduating and passing the bar.

• Please share your best tip for balancing your professional life and your personal life.

Do not focus on balance because there will never be a perfect balance, but strive to make the most of the time you spend at and away from work.

• If you could not be a lawyer, what occupation would you choose?

If I could not be a lawyer I would likely choose to become a teacher or professor.  I had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for many classes in law school and really enjoyed helping students learn.  There is a challenge and deeper understanding of many things when one has to break things down to core elements and communicate those things to other people. Just like the law the world is always changes and things being taught are always evolving and keeping things interesting.

• Everyone has a “guilty pleasure.” What is yours?

            Fine pens

• What is your favorite book or movie and why?

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is my favorite movie because it takes me back to simpler times and allows me get lost in a “world of pure imagination.” Also, every time I watch Willy Wonka, I catch something new, think about something in a different way, or have new life experiences to reflect on in juxtaposition with the fantasy world.  Most importantly, it always puts a smile on my face.

• What is your favorite vacation spot?

Home-  Over the last few years I have gained a new appreciation for being at home.  The demands life and work sometimes keep me away from the luxury of home and the sense of content and relaxation that can come only at home. I have been to the Caribbean’s, Virgin Island, Belize, Cancun, Florida, California and other far away destinations and they are all wonderful and unique, but the one thing they have in common is that the feeling of returning home.  Also, it is pretty hard to travel with my co-counsel named Roxy who is an 85 pound American Bulldog.

• What are two things about you that not many people know?

            1. I do not know how to whistle or blow bubbles with gum

            2. I have been to 7 Guns n Roses concerts in 5 cities and 2 countries.

• How would you describe yourself in one word?

            Dedicated