Ozarks Profile: Millie Donohoe

Tell us about your firm.

I'm proud to say that I started my own law firm last spring. I handle both civil and criminal cases in Greene, Christian, Taney, Stone, Lawrence, Webster and Polk counties.

How did you arrive in this position?

Wanting a simpler way of life and more opportunities to canoe and camp and play and enjoy music, my husband and I moved to Springfield from Kansas City in 1992 and have not regretted the move for one second. Prior to starting my own law practice, I practiced law for 18 years doing a variety of things. I worked for Arthur Benson in Kansas City (although I did not work on the desegregation case itself there). I practiced credit union law and bankruptcy law; did insurance defense cases involving environmental issues and product liability law; commuted weekly to Phoenix, Ariz., while working with the Resolution Trust Corporation on the RICO case against Charles Keating (Lincoln Savings and Loan failure); and worked on the second-largest insurance failure (Mission Insurance Company in Kansas City and in Los Angeles).

How is having your own practice different?

Being in private practice is different from my past law experience in many ways, especially perhaps, in the fact that there are no guarantees such as a regular paycheck or insurance, or even cases to work on. However, I find myself much happier these days and really enjoy being able to make my own choices about what cases to work on or to even accept. I also get much more of a sense of accomplishment because whatever I achieve is due pretty much solely to my own hard work.

What are the most common types of cases you see in your practice?

The most common types of cases I find myself dealing with are tickets, divorces, guardianships, probate cases, misdemeanor and felony criminal cases, workers' compensation cases and consumer/credit cases.

What do you like best about practicing law?

What I like best about practicing law is that it both forces me and gives me a chance to use my mind, to meet interesting people, to help people and also to make a living.

What do you like least about it?

It seems that even the simplest cases can become very complicated and time-consuming sometimes, and the deadlines an attorney has to meet can really interfere with one's family life.

Tell us about your family.

My family is a little unusual, but I wouldn't have it any other way; it consists of my husband, Dennis, several pigs, goats, dogs and cats. My husband and I love canoeing, camping, music (especially bluegrass) and have recently purchased a motorcycle, which we can't wait to ride.