Graduate Story: Nate Bohlander '05, Morgan, Akins & Jackson, PLLC
At Dickinson, I learned more from the class discussions than I ever could by merely listening to a multi-hour lecture. — Nate Bohlander '05
Former policy studies major Nate Bohlander ’05, partner at Morgan, Akins & Jackson, PLLC, shares his experience in how attorneys can best improve client service in his new book Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Thirty Essential Tips for Counsel to Best Serve Their Clients. With more than a decade of experience, he passes on this knowledge-along with humorous references and inspiring real-life accounts-in 30 road-tested tips designed to improve the attorney-client relationship.
Tell us a little about your position.
I’m a partner with the mid-size, Nashville-based law firm of Morgan, Akins & Jackson, PLLC. I work out of our Philadelphia office, and am licensed in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. I’ve been with the firm for nine years, four of those as a partner. The firm primarily handles civil litigation on the defense side, meaning that we represent corporate entities in general liability matters. We have a myriad of practice areas, including those of which I am a part: aviation, product liability, premises liability, construction and commercial trucking. My clients include international airlines, national trucking companies, recreational parks, traffic control signage entities and product manufacturers. Our ongoing goal is a fairly simple one: to deliver the best results possible for our clients.
What was your Dickinson experience like?
When I think back on my time at Dickinson, the first thing that comes to mind are the small, intimate class settings, which often fostered spirited debate. I’ve spoken with so many friends and colleagues that attended bigger universities, whose college classroom experiences were largely limited to expansive lecture halls with hundreds of students. They never personally interacted with their professors. At Dickinson, I learned more from the class discussions than I ever could by merely listening to a multi-hour lecture. I also knew the face and name of every classmate and professor, which helped me develop strong relationships which have endured to this day.
How did Dickinson help prepare you for where you are today?
My practice requires constant consideration of a long list of stakeholders: your client, an insurance carrier (or several, if the case warrants), a third-party administrator, your opponent and his or her counsel and the court. Juggling their often-disparate requirements and requests in litigating cases can be difficult. In my policy studies major at Dickinson, we honed this exact skill, as well as how to write and argue persuasively. A liberal-arts education generally, and Dickinson’s emphasis on international study specifically, provide students with a broad, well-rounded experience. I gained so much invaluable insight from my time in Australia, including significantly changing my previous worldview.
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Published October 29, 2024