New shareholder

“It’s a big deal to become a shareholder,” says Joe Heinrichs, 28, of his new partial ownership with the well-established law firm Patton, Hoversten and Berg, P.A. (PHB).  He compares joining PHB with being put behind the wheel of a precision automobile. “All the support and resources are in place; I don’t have to worry about building the road, I have the straightforward job of representing my clients—while knowing I have a high-quality vehicle.”

He explains the term “shareholder” is what applies when joining an incorporated law firm. It means much the same as being a “partner.”

“Becoming part of the firm is an investment that signifies pride in what the business is accomplishing and a commitment to help it continue building,” he observes.

Heinrichs has been with PHB since 2022, and became a shareholder earlier this year. He currently works out of the firm’s Faribault office, spending time in the courtrooms of Rice, Steele and Waseca counties.

His connection with the southern Minnesota court system began earlier, however, when he was selected to serve as a “judicial law clerk” in May of 2020. 

Heinrichs explains the typical path to becoming a lawyer begins with earning a bachelor’s degree; in his case, in psychology. After that, one applies to law schools for what is typically a three-year program. Heinrichs, an Iowa native, attended the University of St. Thomas in downtown Minneapolis. With that program finished, beginning lawyers sometimes serve a sort of “apprenticeship” by applying to be a judicial law clerk. 

While a clerk, beginning lawyers are assigned to draft documents for the judge, keep track of records, and generally perform whatever tasks the judge requests. 

Heinrichs remembers being encouraged to apply for a “one-judge county,” having been told he would get the largest variety of assignments in a small setting and would work most closely with the judge. “All judges were once lawyers,” Heinrichs mentions. “And they were good ones–that’s why they were selected as judges.” 

Based on that advice, Heinrichs applied and was accepted for a judicial clerkship in southern Minnesota, where he served as a judicial law clerk from May of 2020 to August of 2021. 

“It was the best experience I could have hoped for,” he says. “I got experience writing numerous proposed orders. The judge treated it as a genuine learning experience for me. If I had an opinion, she would listen to me, even when it disagreed with hers.”

While serving as a clerk, Heinrichs says he began keeping two lists. “One of what to do as a lawyer, and one of what not to do.” Heinrichs mentions sitting in on court sessions and observing how various lawyers handled their cases. “Afterwards, the judge would ask me what I thought,” he says. “We would discuss other ways things might have been handled, or maybe even where things went wrong.

“The judge would say, ‘Well, add it to your list.’”

The smaller size of the court also allowed him to become better acquainted with others who came and went there frequently. He mentions support from the court reporter who helped him gain a stronger understanding of other tasks needed to keep everything operating smoothly. “Getting to know the individuals who manage the day-to-day organization of the court helped me form connections; it let me build a better understanding of the big picture.”

Being present for jury selection was another learning experience. “You get to know who your neighbors are,” he said of the many, often searching questions that would be asked.

“All in all, being a clerk is a rich experience that serves as a really important foundation for everything that comes after,” Heinrichs says. “I feel really fortunate to have been a clerk.”

After working in the position for a year and three months, Heinrichs began looking around for possible positions as a lawyer in the area.

Heinrichs found himself at an interview with long-time PHB firm leader Bill Hoversten.

Heinrichs says he quickly realized PHB is a setting where he could grow personally and professionally. With offices in Faribault, Owatonna, Waseca and Janesville, the firm has 10 lawyers on staff.

Heinrichs admits that, even though he has been with the firm since 2022, “I sometimes still feel like I’m proving myself; these guys are respected and admired, and here I am working with them.”

By making his recent decision to become a shareholder in the Professional Association that is PHB, Heinrichs says he is benefitting from the organization’s reputation, and making a serious commitment to keep adding to it.

But that all falls in line with the dream of becoming a lawyer Heinrichs has nurtured since he was in eighth grade, and which was so deeply enriched by his experience as a court clerk.

“You have to be disciplined,” he observes. “You have to work hard. You want to get all the information you need so you don’t make mistakes.

“Or, if you make a mistake, you have to learn from it so you don’t make it again.”

Though his younger self once thought it would be “cool” to wear a suit and tie all the time, he has discovered that’s one facet of the job that can “wear off.” 

While he recognizes it as a vital element of the job, he says how he dresses is not the most important facet of “presentation.”

“When I meet new clients, I want them to know I’m personable,” he observes. “It’s important to remember they’re probably coming to a lawyer because they’re going through a tough time.

“I want them to know I have the kind of personality and character they want speaking for them in a courtroom.”

Now one of six shareholders in Patton, Hoversten and Berg, Heinrichs says he appreciates the trust placed in him by the more longstanding shareholders who invited him to join them. Thanks to their leadership and support, he says he has already helped numerous clients achieve their desired outcomes—his favorite aspect of being a lawyer.

“It feels good to help people,” Heinrichs observes. “Honestly, when you’re doing something you like, it barely feels like work. The look of gratitude on people’s faces and the conversations that follow, that good feeling makes all the stressors that come with this job worthwhile.”