Get to know our members through Member Spotlights!  Each month the ACBA will profile one of our members so you can learn a little bit more about who our members are!  Happy reading!

This month we are spotlighting Matthew Quiring.  He has been a member of the ACBA for several years now and is a member of the ADR and Real Estate Sections.  In 2010, Matthew was honored as Volunteer of the Year for his pro bono work with the Volunteer Legal Services Corporation.

When did you know you wanted to be a lawyer?
I didn’t consider law school until after I obtained my undergraduate degree. At that point I was undecided about my future, but as I considered my options, I realized that my strengths seemed to be in reasoning, communication, and analysis. A lawyer in my church offered to hire me as a clerk in his law office to try it out, and from there I was able to pass the LSAT and obtain admission to a good school.

If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what would you be doing instead?
Prior to law school, I considered careers in psychology, education, and computer science.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were first admitted to practice?
I feel like I still have a lot to learn as an attorney, but when it comes to developing new skills, there’s not much better substitute than simply preparing as well as you can and taking your best shot. As something of a perfectionist, this is easier to say than to do.

What is the biggest challenge facing you as a lawyer today?
The biggest concern in my practice right now is finding a way to bring legal services to clients of limited means that also allows me to pay my bills.

What’s your favorite part of being a lawyer?
Nearly every week I am able to have client interactions that prove to me that the work I do and the assistance I provide have made a positive impact on their lives, their stress, and their well-being. As a lawyer, I possess the skills to solve the problems of people in need, and it is one of the most satisfying things in my life.

What is your dream vacation?
I was recently able to attend two Spring Training games in Scottsdale, Arizona. Having a relaxed morning, baseball in the afternoon, and great food at night was hard to beat. And it wasn’t very far away!

What are you reading right now?
During my most recent vacation, I was able to read “Roadside Picnic” by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
Several years ago, I was able to visit Zimbabwe as part of a global church conference, where I saw the impressive natural beauty, sampled local game meats, and witnessed the weight of its longstanding oppressive regime upon its languishing people.

What person, living or dead, real or fictional, would you like to have dinner with?
The recent passing of critic Roger Ebert makes me think of how much fun it would be to sit with him and simply discuss movies for a long while. His work on television and in print has inspired a longstanding love for the medium and its potential to delight, enlighten and uplift.

Why do you choose to be a member of the ACBA? What is the greatest benefit you have enjoyed as a member?
I am a member of ACBA for the MCLE benefits, the networking opportunities, and as a way of supporting the Volunteer Legal Services Corporation.