Monday Profile: William Weise

Bill Weise was born and raised in northeast Michigan. He graduated as a history major from Alma College in 1989 before going on to Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and graduating in 1994. Weise started his own firm in 1995 and practices criminal and family law. He also joined Grabel & Associates as an associate about a year ago, with a focus on criminal law. Weise not only enjoys the practice of law, but educating others about it. He has taught Introduction to Criminal Law and Constitutional Concepts in Criminal Law classes at Marygrove College in Detroit. He has also served on the Water Appeal Board for the City of Grand Ledge and as a member of the Eaton County Boundary Commission. In his down time, Bill enjoys being active in his community, and scuba diving. By Jo Mathis Legal News Residence: Grand Ledge. What advice do you have for someone considering law school? Be prepared to work hard and create a specialty/niche for yourself to separate yourself from the competition. Favorite local hangouts: Mitchell's and The Exchange. Favorite websites: The unofficial home of Notre Dame football, UHND.com. Favorite app? Bleacher Report. Favorite CD: I like alternative rock music. What would surprise people about your job? The variety of people that I deal with, and the number of issues that arise with my cases on a daily basis. What do you wish someone would invent? A time machine. What has been your favorite year so far? My favorite year is always the one I'm currently in. What is your most typical mood? Positive. Why did you become a lawyer? Because I can't sing or dance. If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would that be? Scott Grabel. What's the most awe-inspiring place you've ever been? Scuba diving at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. What did you do last weekend? I went bow hunting and watched the Notre Dame game. If you could have one super power, what would it be? X-ray vision. What would you say to your 16-year-old self? "When you get to college, remember that beer isn't food." What is your proudest moment as a lawyer? Convincing a prosecutor to dismiss a rape case the morning it was set for trial. I was positive my client was innocent and I didn't want him to risk a conviction at trial. What do you do to relax? I like to read about U.S. history. How would you describe your home? Busy. What word do you overuse? I say the phrase "Every problem has 10 solutions" several times a day. What is something most people don't know about you? Nothing I can think of; I'm a pretty open book. If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? John Adams, Joe Montana and Scott Grabel. What is the best advice you ever received? You're never as bad off as you think you are and you're never as good off as you think you are. If you can help it, where will you never return? Allegan County Circuit Court. What do you drive? A Mercedes. What would you drive if money were no object? If money were no object, I wouldn't have to drive. Favorite place to spend money: The Notre Dame bookstore. What would you like carved onto your tombstone? I'm not going to have one. Published: Mon, Nov 24, 2014