5 minutes with... Charlie Korsmo
Starting out, what did you expect from a career in law?
Flexibility, more than anything, which has worked out nicely. That, and gouts of cash, which hasn’t worked out as well.
What do you consider to have been your big break?
If I'm honest with myself, getting into the movies – I’m sure it has gotten my resume plucked out of the pile on more than one occasion. Plus, if I hadn’t had the money I made from movies to pay for college, I might have been forced to just go wherever I could get a football scholarship.
What achievement are you most proud of?
Pride comes before a fall, right? Now that I have a beautiful wife and daughter, it’s hard to take other 'achievements' all that seriously.
What do you consider your greatest failure or regret?
I regret nothing! Though some of my later movies didn’t exactly light up the box office.
What law would you want to change, abolish or create?
Can we append pages to this form? I’ll start with the tax code, in its totality – a deliberate abomination; obstacle to human freedom and happiness.
"I regret nothing! Though some of my later movies didn’t exactly light up the box office."
Who is your legal hero?
Honestly, I’ve never been much into hero worship, so let’s say Hammurabi – king of the Babylonian Empire who wrote one of the first written codes of law in recorded history. I think enough time has passed by now that we’re able to evaluate the man’s achievements somewhat objectively. And, if Rodge Cohen is reading this, him too. Hammurabi and Rodge Cohen.
What career would you have in your second life?
Navy SEAL. Or whatever it is that Mark Zuckerberg fellow does... he seems to do quite well for himself. Why wasn’t that gig in the classifieds when I was looking for a job out of college? My bad luck, I guess.
How would you like to be remembered?
“He was a builder.” I’ve got some work to do on that, though – thus far, the most significant thing I’ve built are some new shelves for my pantry.
What inspired you to quit BigLaw in favor of academia?
A desire for flexibility. Later in your career in BigLaw, you may have an opportunity to be more involved in business, public policy, and culture, but your first decade or two tend to be a bit of a life lived on rails.
Do you think that your background in acting has benefited your legal career?
Yes.
What are your plans for the future?
Right now, I’m just trying to get a law review article or two out the door. One step at a time.
What advice would you give to students trying to enter the legal profession today?
Don’t panic. Always surprisingly sound advice.