By Paul Janczewski
Legal News
Michael F. Gadola never planned for his career to unfold like this. But how could a Catholic kid from Flint with an interest in politics and current affairs look into the future and see himself sitting in downtown Lansing as the legal affairs director to Gov. Rick Snyder?
"I'm not one of those people who had a 10-year plan, or a five-year plan, or even a one-year plan," Gadola said. "It was just, 'What's next?'"
It wasn't like Gadola, 49, was ho-hum about anything; just flipping from one job to the next, drifting where the tides took him. He did whatever job he had very well, impressed the right people along the way, took advantage of several excellent opportunities and saw his career progress in ways and places that no law school graduate could ever imagine.
"I got to do things I enjoyed doing, and it's worked out really well," he said.
Although his father, Paul V. Gadola, was an attorney, and later a U.S. District judge, and his grandfather, Paul Gadola Sr., was a Genesee County Circuit judge, Mike, as he prefers to be called, never had a mindset to enter law, "although everything pointed in that direction, given the family history." His uncle, the late Thomas L. Gadola, was a Genesee County Probate judge, and Tom's son, John A. Gadola, is also a Probate Court judge there. Mike Gadola's cousin, Miles Gadola, is a Republican Genesee County commissioner.
In high school, he was drawn into debate and public speaking classes, and had interests in politics and current events. After graduation, Gadola attended James Madison College at Michigan State University. He specialized in international relations. Although he began in 1979, Gadola did not graduate until 1985, taking time off here and there to work on political campaigns and other odd jobs.
Eventually, Gadola took the LSAT, did well and decided to go to law school.
He entered Wayne State University Law School in 1987 and graduated three years later. Gadola was Editor-in-Chief of the Wayne Law Review, which helped him get hired by the Dickinson-Wright law firm. Gadola believed he'd become a litigator. But the opportunities to argue cases in court were few for a first-year associate.
Gadola left there in 1991 to be Gov. Engler's deputy legal counsel and counsel for executive organization. From 1995-96, he was Director of the Office of Regulatory Reform, but returned to Dickinson-Wright for two years, working in the Lansing office and specializing in general litigation, telecommunications, and election law to obtain more experience and round out his resume with traditional law practice.
He returned to Engler's staff and took up duties he had earlier, but saw another opportunity open up in 1999 when he became House Majority Counsel. That happened to be the first time term limits were in effect in the legislature, and nearly 60 members were new to their seats.
"We were all kind of new, and it was an exciting time," Gadola said.
As always seemed to happen for Gadola, another opportunity came in 2001 when he moved to the state Supreme Court as counsel. He later became general counsel for the State Court Administrator's Office. He stayed there for 10 years, the longest time he's had at any job.
Gadola said it was an interesting time in the state Supreme Court's history, "some of it more pleasant than others," as new judges took office and the shift in the balance of power occurred.
Last November, Gadola was named as Snyder's legal affairs director. He started in his latest government position in January. Gadola said he didn't lobby for the spot, and did not work on the Snyder campaign, and only got to know Snyder a few weeks before the election.
As counsel to the governor, Gadola handles an array of issues and litigation in matters of legislation, judicial appointments, executive orders and other matters.
"It's been so busy we barely had time to catch our breath," he said. "Now, we are no less busy, but less frantic than we were in January and February. The Governor keeps us very busy. He has a lot of ideas about re-inventing Michigan, and that's what we're doing. And I'm witnessing that up close."
Gadola said his job carries much responsibility, but his staff - Deputy Legal Counsels Beth Clement and Dave Murley, and staffers Cheri Arwood and Lynn Seaks - means he can approach the job with a ton of confidence.
Gadola said this job entails everything he's ever wanted - "public policy, politics, the law, working with great attorneys on interesting legal issues and being in the center of the action, having a seat on the table when important decisions are being made that affect the future of the state and the people who live here."
Gadola may not meet the book definition of what most believe a lawyer should be, but he's fine with that, too.
"You can do other things with the law, and my career is a pretty good example of that," he said.
Published: Mon, Jun 27, 2011
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