Steven M. Beckerman

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Steven M. Beckerman

Attorney, Trevett Cristo Attorneys

Years in current role: 38

What advice would you give someone starting out in family law right now?

I would advise any new attorney in this field to work with or develop a relationship with an experienced Family Law attorney. Family law practice is a complex and nuanced area of the law where you would greatly benefit from having available regular counsel from those who have significant experience and who have been ” in the trenches.” Having that support and mentoring from the start will have an immeasurable impact on your happiness and success in this area of practice. Taking CLEs in this area also cannot be emphasized enough.

If you could practice one area of law that you haven’t practiced in your career, what would it be and why?

Entertainment Law and the representation of professional athletes. I took an elective course in law school on representing the professional athlete. My professor had developed a practice representing athletes and also acting as an agent. I really enjoyed the course and came to appreciate that there was a lot more to that practice than just contract negotiation.

What do you enjoy most about the Rochester legal community?

The collegiality and civility of my colleagues in this community not only in transactional matters but also in litigation. I also enjoy the collaboration and willingness of other attorneys to share their experiences with certain legal issues or matters and simply telling their “war stories.”