PHB’s lawyer Ellie James

Ellie James has been a lawyer with Patton, Hoversten and Berg (PHB) law office in Waseca since this past December, but her connection to legal work has been ongoing ever since she earned her master’s degree in business administration and began to work with the human resources office at Rice County in 2017.

“It seemed I was working with lawyers all the time,” she recalls. “I began to realize it was a job that aligned with who I am.”

As for what that means, she comments many people may have a misconception about how lawyers spend their work time. “We are by nature researchers, readers, and writers,” she clarifies. “Every word counts.” She goes on to say much of her time is spent keeping current with court decisions which affect matters she is working on, drafting documents, and communicating with clients. 

Ellie, 34, completed her law degree in 2022, then spent a couple of years serving as a law clerk in an area courtroom before taking on her job at PHB.

Among the types of cases she handles are estate, probate, family law, and business and employment law. She says she is glad to be working at a firm with such a strong connection to the area community.

Ellie grew up in Waseca and graduated as a Bluejay, while her husband, Jacob James, graduated as a Buccaneer. Now married for 15 years, the two of them live in Elysian and have five children: Mackenzie, 14; Madelynn, 13; Meredith, 7; Weston, 9; and Miriam, 2.

“As you would guess, I feel really connected to the community, its people and its culture,” she observes. “I want the best possible outcome for people because it not only helps them, in many cases it helps keep the community stable.”

Recognizing that people sometimes seek out a lawyer’s assistance when they feel a sense of urgency or uncertainty, Ellie assures, “processes in law are very important and sometimes take a central role, but they don’t move fast.” Falling in line with her statement lawyers make sure their work is carefully researched, she points out court procedures are usually scheduled weeks or even months apart.

“Sometimes that doesn’t line up with the idea of urgency,” she observes, “but it makes sure everyone has time to make certain their information is well prepared and their claims have a sound basis in law.”

What she and other lawyers can do for people who feel caught up in a crisis, she says, is to help them take a practical look at their circumstances and learn what steps are available moving forward.

Ellie says she feels particularly honored when she can work with clients in drafting their estate plans. “People have given a lot of thought about how they want to see things continue,” she describes. “It’s a privilege to help them set everything up so their wishes will be clear and things will play out as they choose.”

She goes on to say, for her, PHB is just the right size to allow for connection and collaboration. “We have a small-town atmosphere and a small-town approach,” she says. “We lawyers can build relationships with our clients and use that understanding to do the best possible job for them. The staff is a size that allows us to seek each other out and make use of each other's expertise.

“I’m really grateful to be where I am, helping the people this role allows me to help.”