Meet Maggie Schmidt | Attorney

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maggie Schmidt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maggie, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Madeleine Albright’s quote “I do think women can have it all, just not all at the same time” resonates with me. I started my own law firm right after passing the bar in 2010 and jumped into a full-time practice within months. Two and a half years later, I welcomed my first child, followed by two more kids two and four years later. My work-life balance changed drastically each time. I am more selective with accepting clients and strive to take weekends and evenings off (minus last minute trial prep of course). My husband, whom is also an attorney, and I enjoy family time and prioritize it above all else, especially travel. We have struck the best a balance we can even though many days we feel like failed firefighters. The balance has shifted – less me time, more kid time, a lot of work. But someday I will miss when it’s just me time and work.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My practice focuses on family law and criminal defense.  I help people in the worst phases of their lives – going through divorces, arguing about parenting time, getting out of jail.  Every day presents a different set of problems to solve, which is one of the reasons I love my job so much.

It wasn’t easy starting a practice as a brand new attorney at 25 years old, but was made easier with the clinical hours I had at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. I graduated with 400 hours of felony jury trial experience which made me eligible for several county contracts and helped get my practice off the ground. One of the cases was a six week homicide trial. I will never forget that unbelievable experience and will forever thank the Pima County Public Defender’s Office and Walt Palser for that invaluable education. I was truly “thrown into the fire” with my legal training but it was always exciting and always educational. I’m incredibly grateful.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a fifth generation Tucsonan and the city has grown on me more and more over the years (though I miss my college town of San Luis Obispo, California to this day). We are very spoiled with delicious food here in the Old Pueblo. My husband and I go out to eat often and still don’t make a dent. Since my office is downtown, I often go to Ceres for lunch. Best pasta around! We love Mexican food and rotate places all the time – El Minuto, Guadalajara Grill, Rollies, all the places in South Tucson, and more. I always recommend local drinking spots: Tap and Bottle, Batch, Congress, and Owls Club West. I could go on and on. The local shopping scene on 4th Avenue is great too – Popcycle is one of my favorite stops!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve had some wonderful mentors in my legal career: my father (Tom Higgins), the Pima County Public Defenders office, Walt Palser, Matt Messmer, United States Magistrate Judge Charles “Chuck” Pyle, and countless others.

Website: www.thehigginslawgroup.com