Life at LDM | Attorney Spotlight, Scott Wormsley

Scott Wormsley, Partner

What is your definition of success?

One “definition of success” for my practice is the presence of a high number of repeat clients. Most of my clients are institutional clients, with a panel of available law firms that they can choose from when deciding which attorney they want to handle a particular case. When a client sends repeat business, this confirms that they were happy with the work I have done in the past. I strive to communicate timely and effectively with my clients, be attentive to their unique needs and calibrate the work done on a particular case to their preferences on cost, aggressiveness, and risk.

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What's the most unique part about working at LDM?

LDM has a roster of incredibly talented professionals ranging from attorneys, to paralegals, to staff. I think LDM is unique in its culture, which I would describe as respectful, collaborative and fun. When dealing with stressful litigation, having this unique culture is extremely satisfying.

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What’s one thing — either industry-related or not — you learned in the last month?

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) tools is both intriguing and scary. I recently attended a seminar discussing some AI products which may be very helpful in the future starting tasks such as preparing drafts of arguments, deposition summaries and legal research. For now though, the implementation of these AI tools gives me serious concerns regarding issues such as privacy and accuracy. As an example, as an “officer of the court”, I need to make sure that all facts I am representing are true, and I have learned (not unexpectedly) that I cannot tell the judge that I relied on AI.

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What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is just starting their career?

For someone starting a career in the law, my best advice is to avoid shortcuts. It is tempting to rely on forms, answers from colleagues, shortcuts, and even AI. However, I believe it is important to first learn and understand the details of the law, procedure, evidence, etc. Then, as you continue you improve your understanding, you can consider shortcuts.

What are you currently reading, binge-watching or listing to?

White Lotus. Makes me happy to be relatively normal and living in Iowa.