Evan Gaines

Associate, Gaines & Gaines, APLC

2012 | Calabasas, CA

University of California-Santa Barbara | Film Studies

“I wanted to have a fall and winter, live in cold weather, and experience the Midwest. I also wanted to go to a Big Ten school so I could enjoy the athletics and the big school experience that I missed in undergrad.”

Evan Gaines chose MSU because he wanted to experience something different. “I wanted to have a fall and winter, live in cold weather, and experience the Midwest. I also wanted to go to a Big Ten school so I could enjoy the athletics and the big school experience that I missed in undergrad.”

Academically, Evan’s Research and Writing class provided the most immediate impact on his current work. “Writing is everything in our field, and being able to say something with the least amount of words is an art that takes time to acquire,” he said. “Also, taking classes that were extensions of first-year courses provided an understanding of those basic subjects that I could use immediately in the office.”

Evan advises prospective law students to take time after undergrad and work for a few years, even if it has nothing to do with the law. “Once you have that perspective of what life is like in the real world, you’ll be more mature in your studies, and you will develop better skills to study with,” he said. “I found myself much more prepared entering law school at age 25 than at 22.”

The most rewarding aspect of Evan’s current job is the satisfaction that comes with helping others. “Taking a client intake call, hearing the story, counseling the client through each stage of litigation, and obtaining a positive result is as rewarding as you can get. When you’re able to give your client the peace of mind so they can sleep at night makes you understand why you decided to become a lawyer,” he said.