Russell Nicolet on Law, Family, and Doing What’s Right
April 19 2024, Published 3:53 a.m. ET
One of Russell Nicolet's most significant challenges was being the first in his family to attend law school. He says he needed to figure out what to expect and was still determining if he could make it work. However, he threw caution to the wind and started his law office.
"The big thing I did to overcome these obstacles was just to continuously work at getting more knowledgeable and getting better," he says.
By improving his skills and knowledge and finding early mentors in the legal profession, Nicolet says that he worked to "soak up as much [information] as [he] could" from all the attorneys he encountered. He says his obsession with solving his clients' problems and wanting to improve made a difference for him.
Nicolet's efforts show. He has received numerous awards, including the National Trial Lawyers Association's Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyers and Top 100 Trial Lawyers. However, he states that his most notable highlights have been the results he has obtained for the people he has been honored to represent.
"I know people don't typically think of lawyers as personable or down-to-earth," he writes on his firm's website. "But I come from a family that values authenticity and sacrifice – when you genuinely care about something, it's not about keeping appearances or maintaining a façade. It's about working hard for the things and the people you care about."
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Nicolet's ambitions have had far-reaching effects, especially within his family. On his website, he states that he started Nicolet Law in 2007 and was "so proud" when his younger siblings went to college and decided to join his firm. He also claims that "no one he can trust more" than the people he knows best and that he has "filled his office with those who share the same values and work ethic" as he does.
Having started Nicolet Law alone, Russell Nicolet says his goal has always been to help others. Now that his firm has grown to three states and dozens of employees, he says that he is proud of the growth but that he is most proud of the people who work in his offices daily to fight for the hard-working people in the Midwest.
"We will not stop growing and not stop fighting for those people," he writes, "because everyone that works here feels and understands that what we do is not only a job, but a calling to help, serve, and stand up for those that need it most."
In the next few years, Nicolet and his firm see themselves continuing to represent those with personal injury cases in the Midwest, as well as holding insurance companies and other large companies accountable for those injuries. They also see Nicolet Law growing and helping more people, all while ensuring that those responsible for those accidents are held to the standards they are meant to be held to. Russel Nicolet has learned from the best. Now, he aims only to provide the best for his clients.