(Editor’s note: This is an article written by Jonathan Amira that appeared in the latest edition of the Young Lawyers Division’s
Dictum, a publication of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Members can read the full issue
here [login required].)
The purpose of Ipsum is to highlight a YLD member’s hobbies, experiences, and passions outside of the practice of law. This feature is inspired by my experiences in mentorship and networking from learning about colleagues and prospective mentees. Most of the time, the conversations would shift away from law and more toward individual interests, stories, and experiences. I felt more engaged and connected by these interactions and wanted to capture that essence by giving some of our members a platform to discuss those activities, especially how they strike a balance with the demands of their career and day-to-day life. Maybe you, the reader, might find inspiration from your colleagues, too.
This issue’s first subject of Ipsum is my “Predecessor-In-Chief” Alexandra “Ali” Loprete. Ali is a trial attorney with Fredson, Statmore, Bitterman, where she leads the medical malpractice and nursing home abuse and neglect department. A graduate of Seton Hall Law School, Ali has served in leadership positions at NJSBA and the New Jersey Women’s Lawyers Association over the past several years.
Outside of practice, Ali is an accomplished equestrian. She graduated from Auburn University after attending on a full athletic scholarship for her participation on the Women’s Equestrian Team, and after earning two national titles and two SEC titles. In gratitude of her service to Dictum, it is my pleasure to invite Ali to share with us stories about her talent.
Who or what inspired or motivated you to get into equestrianism?'
My mom. She was one of the first women jockeys in New Jersey and rode races at Monmouth Park back in the 1970s. When she started riding racehorses as a teenager, women weren’t allowed on the back side of the racetrack, and she had to dress up like a boy and pretend to be the trainer’s son. Later women were permitted, but not welcomed. That didn’t stop her. She overcame so much to follow her dreams. I’m inspired by her every day.
Of all your prior extracurricular activities, why do you still enjoy this one?
Riding is an escape. It requires complete focus. To be successful while riding I must think only about connecting and communicating with the horse beneath me. It’s like meditation for me. The rest of the world falls away, and the horse has my complete attention. Plus, when you’ve had a rough day, it’s always nice to visit the horses. They are loving, playful, and incredibly humbling. They have an amazing ability to put everything into perspective. I always think, “Here is this giant four-legged animal that could kill me at any moment if they wanted to, but instead lets me climb up on its back and jump it over fences.” To be able to harness their power into a skill seems almost magical. It’s a reminder of how precious life is, and how lucky we are to live on this planet with beautiful animals like horses
You are now a practicing attorney with substantial leadership positions in some Bar Associations. How do you manage with balancing the demands of your job and professional extracurriculars with equestrianism?
My practice is fast-paced, and my calendar is always evolving, but I make a real effort to plan out my week down to how I will spend each hour each day. I wake up early, I go to bed late. I do a lot of multitasking and working on weekends. But it’s all worth it.
Of course, I couldn’t do any of this without my family. My mom keeps my horses fit and healthy during the week, and trains me late at night after working hours, and early mornings on weekends. My husband takes care of our dogs and does a lot of household work so that I can spend more time working or training at the barn. My sister is always there to jump in and help out at competitions. It’s really incredible to think how much they all do for me. Without a support system like this I would never be able to keep competing at the level I do now.
What skills or lessons from equestrianism that you believe crossed over in your practice surprised you the most?
I love this question because I think we often forget how much our success as lawyers is grounded in our experience outside of the law. Equestrians have a strong work ethic and heightened level of discipline that I think we are seeing less and less of these days. Being late is unacceptable. Being unprepared is unacceptable. If you show up at a competition at 7 a.m., you are two hours late! The work never stops because you are taking care of living animals that depend on you to survive. As a sport it’s unique because the emphasis is taken off of you, and placed on the well-being of the horse. When I was a kid, I would whine at the end of the day that I wanted to go home. My mom used to say, “You think you’re hungry? Tired? Cold? Imagine how your pony feels. She relies on you for everything, and she took care of you today. Now you need to take care of her.” This is such an important lesson that comes with taking care of animals. This perspective has framed my approach to everything, including how I practice law. The amount of time and focus one must dedicate to prepare for trial is similar to what is required to excel in this sport. At the end of the day, my cases are not about me. They are about my clients. My clients are relying on me, and I owe it to them to give it all I’ve got every time, no matter what.
Riding horses also gives you a sense of patience and humor you never thought you had. You can work for months preparing for a competition, only to get there and have your horse lose a shoe, get stung by a bee, or be caught in a windstorm where all the jumps blow down. There are so many moving parts that have to come together for you to be successful. You learn not to sweat the small stuff. Practicing law is the same way. Sometimes things happen out of our control and we just have to live with it. As a junior rider, I trained with Frank Madden, one of the best equestrian coaches in the country. Before I would go in to compete, he would say, “Stick to the plan. Unless the plan changes!” This applies whether I am walking into the competition arena or into the courtroom. You must be prepared but also aware of what’s happening around you in the moment. Sometimes that requires being flexible and thinking on your feet.
I have many friends I rode with as a kid that are now professional equestrians. I follow their careers and I am so proud of their success. I often see them at competitions, and I am in awe of their work ethic and dedication. These people live on the road, routinely get to work at 5 a.m., spend all day outside in the elements, work late nights, and are responsible for the health and well-being of several living animals. Yet, they still manage to compete and win at very high levels. Competing for thousands of dollars of prize money is like another day at the office for them. Their actions are calm, composed, and calculated. I try to conduct myself in the same manner when handling a case. What we do is not all that different, except no one is relying on me to survive and I have the benefit of a climate-controlled building and normal working hours. When you look at it that way, my job is rather easy!
Lastly, years of experience in the competition arena have given me the confidence and psychological toughness to handle anything. Before every competition my mom would remind me, “You’ve trained and prepared for hours. You’ve already won. Just go in there and prove it.” As a woman practicing law, I find this approach incredibly useful. Sexism is common and encountered often in varying degrees when practicing law. It’s typical for young women lawyers to be treated by their counterparts in a manner that suggests they are weak or can be pushed around. Sometimes this is the product of unconscious bias, and other times its more intentional. But either way, it can throw you off your game. When it happens to me, I’ve learned to laugh and carry on. I know I’m prepared. I know I can win. I look forward to stepping into the competition arena that is the courtroom and proving it.
Please share with us something recently you have done in equestrianism that you are particularly proud of.
One of my proudest accomplishments as an equestrian is my ability to bring up young horses and train them to compete at high levels. My one horse, All That, we bred and have trained her since she was born. My other horse, Amicus, I just got six months ago and have already trained her to move up three levels from where she started. This takes a lot more work than just buying an older horse that is already trained and experienced at a high level. But to me, working with young horses is a lot more rewarding. Each time I train, I take pride in improving my horses’ skills as well as my own. We learn to be a team, to trust each other, and to work together. To me, there is no greater accomplishment than that.
What advice can you give someone who is looking at starting out in equestrianism?
Just do it! It will seem hard at first, but it’s so rewarding and fulfilling to spend time with the horses that all the hard work is worth it. I see a lot of people start riding and then give up because of time constraints or they feel they aren’t improving fast enough. But at the end of the day, you will learn so many important lessons from riding other than just how to ride the horse. Dedicating yourself to this sport is worth every second and every penny.