Meet Phil Santa Maria

1. I have been a lawyer for more than 25 years. If I had not chosen this career, I don't know what I would have done. Unless, of course, I could have made it in the NBA as a 5'11" point guard.


2. I am married. My wife Kathie is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor. Between us, we have 4 kids, ages 26 to 35.


3. Who's Who in American Law is a prestigious publication that recognizes excellence in the law. It currently lists about 2 1/2% of American lawyers. I am proud that I have been listed in their book for about 20 years.


4. The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory has a peer rating system where lawyers and judges rate each other based on legal skill and ethics. The highest possible rating is called "AV," and I am told that only about 8% of the lawyers in the United States achieve this rating. I'm proud that I have been one of them for about 20 years.


5. I am a lifetime member of Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization whose members have handled million dollar cases. Less than 1% of American lawyers are members.



6. I am a fitness person. That is, I have a special interest in health and fitness. I'm a Certified Fitness Instructor.


7. I'm a sports fan. I've played a lot of them and watched even more.


8. I love to travel. I think my all-time favorite vacation was to Bora-Bora. (Of course, after I came back, I talked funny-funny.)


9. I love to make photographs, especially when we travel. I'm not great, but I'm decent. I've won some awards for my photos and I've had a public exhibition which was a thrill.


10. I think it's important to do volunteer and charitable work. I volunteer legal services to those who can't afford to pay for it. I participated in a program called "Lawyers Who Care" and became qualified to represent 9/11 victim's families.

I've coached a lot of youth sports, especially basketball. I created and ran a youth ski club.
I volunteer weekly at a local soup kitchen.

Kathie and I have been Meals on Wheels drivers for a number of years, and we really enjoy doing it. Another favorite thing we did was an AIDS Ride several years ago where we rode our bicycles from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., about 350 miles in 4 days.

I have done volunteer community mediation.


11. I'm interested in government and politics.


12. I love humor. I like to go to comedy clubs and to movie comedies. I like to hear jokes and to tell them.


13. I have become a blogger.
    
    
14. I still love being a lawyer. After all the cases I've handled, there's still nothing I enjoy more than helping a good client with a good case.

Yes, I know that's more than 10 Things. We try to always give you more than we promise.

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