TCDIP Featured Lawyer: Janine Wetzel Kimble
Janine Wetzel Kimble
Attorney
Greene Espel PLLP
Janine answers four questions on how she has achieved her level of success.
How did you do it?
It’s a team effort! My attorney colleagues provide tremendous support, including advice and substantive input. We also regularly communicate about expectations and deadlines. Those conversations help me to prioritize projects and stay organized. Beyond my attorney colleagues, I rely on the outstanding staff I work with—especially my legal administrative assistant. We’re a team, and that enables us to provide high quality legal services to our clients.
I also get to know people from outside my firm. Some of your greatest mentors are those who see issues from different perspectives. Organizations like Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, the Hennepin County Bar Association, and others, allow me to learn from people I otherwise would not know. I especially enjoy learning from attorneys who practice in substantive areas different than mine, because I can use what I learn to serve my clients better.
Finally, I keep in mind that my clients are just people. I’m a client in most aspects of my life. Thinking about the service I hope to get from businesses I hire helps inform how I want to treat my clients. Keeping that principle in mind keeps me grounded.
What do you do outside of the law?
I enjoy spending time with my husband, and our family and friends. We also enjoy traveling, particularly to visit family and state/national parks. My favorite reads are The Atlantic and Mother Jones.
Who were the people critical to your success?
Too many to name—including those whom I’ve never met. My success must be attributed to people far outside my family and social spheres, to include people who forged paths for women and African Americans. In my life, my parents are the most important part of my success. They set high expectations, provided an environment in which I could grow into who I wanted to be (as opposed to who someone else wanted me to be), and assisted during critical moments in my life.
Who do you want to thank?
My husband, my parents, and my colleagues at Greene Espel.