After she finished her undergrad studies, Catherine “Cat” McCulle, Esq. decided to take a one-year break before she headed to law school. And, as gap year students often do, she took a job waitressing at a local restaurant.

As luck would have it, that temporary gig was about to pay off. Big time.

A FATEFUL LUNCH

During one of her lunch shifts, McCulle was assigned a table of suit-clad professionals. While taking their orders, she caught brief snippets of their conversation—which led her to believe she was interacting with a group of lawyers.

Her hunch was spot-on. The diners were from The Law Office of Lindy Korn, a firm that specializes in representing employees in a wide range of labor and employment matters.

As the meal concluded, McCulle built a rapport with a few of the attorneys. Recalling her dad’s advice “you gotta put yourself out there,” she quickly jotted her contact info down on a paper drink coaster. “This is crazy,” McCulle thought. “I felt so awkward.”

But it was about to get even more tricky. McCulle passed the coaster to one of the gentlemen at the firm, saying “if you ever need an intern or something, call me.”

He quickly retorted “Don’t look at me…she’s the boss,” gesturing to the woman across the table.

“Talk about putting your foot in your mouth,” McCulle says with a laugh. “I bungled that really bad.” Defeated, she returned to waiting tables and counting down the days until law school began.

RESPECT THE HUSTLE

A couple of months later, McCulle’s phone rang. Turns out, Lindy Korn was impressed by her moxie. They wanted to bring McCulle on board as an intern, giving her that all-important foot in the door to the legal profession.

“All because of a coaster,” McCulle quips.

McCulle admits that her path to the firm was partly found by accident but quickly points out, in no uncertain terms, that she’s in the right place.

“I was a little nervous, but the work was really rewarding,” she beams. And it didn’t take long for McCulle to hit her stride and start building confidence. “It’s perfect. A great place to end up, and I’ve been here ever since.”

A REWARDING PATH

Once McCulle began practicing law, she reveals that her main passion was research and writing. But litigation talents quickly followed. And the law firm’s main practice concentration is a big reason why.

“I landed in a place I had an interest in,” she explains. “Lawyers are important. We can do all this good work. We can stand up for people, we can help people.”

McCulle goes on to explain how her firm exclusively represents employees on the plaintiff’s side—often times folks who have lost their job and are struggling to find recourse. “This isn’t a small thing,” McCulle says. “It affects health. It affects their life. You don’t realize how much a job can become part of someone’s identity.”

She continues, “these people often come to us at their worst points in life.”

And McCulle goes on, describing how gratifying it is to see clients improve mentally, emotionally and even physically as her firm guides them through the often-difficult litigation process. “It’s really great to see people heal through the case progression,” McCulle says.

She illustrates how her clients feel better and even look better as they work with her firm. “They have their confidence back,” McCulle says.

“They have someone who believes in them.”

Someone who believes in them—a thought that’s very reminiscent of a law firm owner who took a chance on an intern and her drink coaster.