A Conversation With ... Steve Garner

Well, I think that we have provided good continuing legal education for the lawyers. I think we’ve kept a very good relationship between the bar and the judges, and I think that we have carried on programs that have started before. We’ve begun an educational outreach program with the schools that we hope will grow into the future. We want people educated about our legal system. There’s a lot of misconceptions about the legal system – the more educated people are, the more they appreciate it, the more they respect it, the more they recognize how essential it is for our society.

What are some of the prevalent misconceptions about the legal field in this area?

Over 21 years of practice, I’ve heard a lot. I think one misperception is that everybody’s suing everybody. When you look statistically at court filings in relationship to the population, that’s simply not borne out. Will there be more filings as population grows? Yes. Does that mean that suits are more prevalent? No. … You hear a lot about “frivolous” lawsuits, but the fact of the matter is that if there’s a nation of 300 million people, there are going to be oddities … and you hear about the oddities and those … are what develops the perception the public has. … We’ve got communications now so that if something happens on the East Coast or the West Coast, you hear about it immediately. From a business and financial standpoint, if somebody’s paying a lawyer by the hour, they don’t want to pay for a frivolous lawsuit. And, if a lawyer’s doing it on a contingency basis, why would they want to (put) money, time and effort into a case that, financially, wouldn’t reward them?

Tell us about your practice at The Strong Law Firm PC.

I do all plaintiffs’ work. I represent individuals who have been hurt, products liability suits – that’s a claim where somebody buys a defective product that hurts them – I’ve done a number of those. Car wrecks, truck wrecks, electrocution. A lot of insurance bad-faith. That’s a case where an insurance company wrongfully refuses to settle a claim when they should, and there are repercussions to the insurance industry. If a corporation has been wronged, I will represent them in business litigation, but the bulk of what I do is representing people who have been very seriously hurt.

You’ve spent your entire 21-year career with The Strong Law Firm. Why?

I clerked for Tom Strong during law school at the University of Arkansas and was exposed to the practice in that way, and was really taken by the practice and what you can do for these people. Because for somebody who’s been seriously hurt, the quality of their life is dependent on the medical care they receive in the future, and their ability to support their families from the wages they’ve lost. I can look back and see a lot of people I’ve been able to help, some products that we’ve gotten off the market, or they’re designed differently, and that makes you feel good. Most lawyers move around, but Tom Strong has treated me as well as I could expect of any boss or partner – because he made me a shareholder, a partner in the firm, three years out – and he’s just been my mentor in the practice of law.

The Springfield legal community seems fairly tight-knit. How does that affect your work?

We’ve got a very congenial bar group here in Springfield. Some of my best friends are people I practice against. People say that’s bad. Well, it isn’t bad. It’s a matter of when you’re in these cases where (both sides) are at each other’s throats, the costs go way up. The emotional toll goes way up. When you have a professional, friendly relationship with your opponent, the costs remain down. You agree to disagree and let a judge decide. It’s a much better way to practice for the clients, the system and the lawyers involved.

Beyond your role as SMBA president, how else are you involved with the group and the community?

I will present at educational seminars if asked, and if Crista (Hogan, SMBA executive director) thinks anyone would want to hear me. I’m on the Appellate Judicial Commission. My term there will expire at the end of the year. I’m the lawyer representative (for) the Southern District, and we select a panel of Appellate Court and Supreme Court judges that the governor picks from. Also, donating financially to the bar foundation.

Tell us about your family.

My wife, Stacy, and I have been married 15 years. We have two children, a 13-year-old daughter, Morgan, and a 10-year-old son, Brett. One thing about this job, it’s stressful with long hours … and they’ve tolerated me.

Interview by Features Editor Maria Hoover. You can e-mail her with suggestions for future installments of this feature at mhoover@sbj.net.