Study of music taught law firm partner discipline

By Hilary Anderson

Chicago attorney Laurie A. Levin did something many would consider difficult at best.

A pianist and violinist, and a founding partner of Fox, Hefter, Swibel, Levin & Carroll, she found a way to combine her musical education with her law degree into daily life.

“Music is a part of my essence,” she said. “I can't think of life without it. Music benefits my law practice and the way I look at the world. “

Levin sees two particular aspects of music that easily translate into her legal profession. One is discipline.

“Music taught me discipline,” she said. “It helped me get through law school. That discipline now helps me sit and read necessary documents without procrastinating.”

Another aspect is perspective.

“I look at things in a more global sense,” Levin said. “This is an especially important part of negotiating. I tend to view things in their totality of what's really important. A certain portion of a transaction may not be as important or necessary as people first thought.”

She adds that the confidence, teamwork and listening skills she has learned during her musical career are integral to a successful law practice.

Levin's view of life might be different if she had attended a typical college instead of Julliard, where she received both bachelor's and master's degrees and graduated cum laude.

Indeed her life's journey might have taken other roads had her musical talent not been discovered at any early age.

“I was like everyone else,” she recalled, “until a local teacher made the ‘mistake' of telling my parents how musically talented I was.”

The teacher's comment resulted in Levin undertaking both violin and piano lessons. “I played them through high school,” Levin said. “I liked it, but sacrificed a lot. There wasn't much time for me have fun and play games with other kids.”

She practiced two to three hours a day on the piano and about an hour a day on the violin. “I would bone up even more when a competition or concert was coming,” she said.

Levin grew up on Long Island, N.Y., and became a local star in the music arena. She enrolled in a special high school program that allowed her to go into New York City twice a week to study, while also taking advanced placement courses.

She had a tough decision to make after high school graduation.

“My biggest decision was to choose between going to Princeton or Julliard,” Levin reminisced. “I chose Julliard and de--ferred my acceptance to Princeton for three years.”

But she decided to stay at Julliard and eventually earned both degrees there. Among her challenges was performing for her professors prior to graduation.

“The most difficult part was playing before a group of people who were like a jury,” she said. “They chose the pieces for me to play. None of them ever smiled through the entire process.”

Although Levin had music in her heart, she knew that it was a tough business in which to earn a living.

“My desire took me only so far,” she said. “The motivating factor behind my attending law school was the feeling that I didn't want to be struggling like some musicians were.

“I wanted to do something stimulating and challenging, get a job and be able to pay my bills. I wanted to be happy in the outside world.”

Levin entered law school at Fordham University and taught music while attending classes there. She was senior articles editor of the Fordham Law Review.

Along the way, she met her husband, Robert, a violinist. “I wanted to be practical,” she said. “Had I not been married, I would have considered medical school.”

Levin thought she would concentrate in entertainment law but developed a taste for real estate. “You are creating transactions (in real estate). I like consensus. I was doing something positive and tangible.”

She spent two years with the New York law firm of Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler before moving to Chicago in 1986 when her husband became operations manager for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She joined Hopkins & Sutter and became a partner in 1990.

“I liked going on tours with the orchestra,” she said. “One of my favorite places was Japan. I loved listening to the cheers of fans.”

Levin went into law practice with Lawrence B. Swibel and Michael E. Fox in 1996 and subsequently became a partner in the 17-member firm they established. She expanded her work into secured lending and corporate law.

“I like being able to give more personal service,” she said. “You rely on no one but yourself to help clients.”

Levin remains quite close to her musical background, often performing chamber music with CSO members and discussing music with law practice clients.

Her husband now manages classical musicians. A daughter, Rachel, is a violinist and singer. A son, Daniel, is a flutist. A brother and sister often join the musical group.

“There is nothing more fun than playing together,” Levin said. “Music is in our hearts.”