Meet your neighbor: Laurie Mize Henderson

Published 8:00 am Tuesday, October 15, 2013

A client once told Laurie Mize Henderson that she doesn’t look like a lawyer.

She took it as a compliment.

An attorney who’s more comfortable in jeans and flip-flops than a business suit and heels, Henderson prides herself on being a down-to-earth, “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” professional who can relate to the clients she works with at her family law practice in Pell City.

Before heading to Auburn last week to watch Ole Miss – her law school alma mater – play the Tigers, the mother of three explained why she chose to practice family law, addressed commonly-held misconceptions about the legal profession, and argues her case as to why musician John Mayer owes her a conversation.

Why family law?   “I have a passion for it.  I suppose my passion stems from the fact that I, as well as my husband, came from a very strong, intact family.  We are both products of families where both parents were present and active in our lives.  The backgrounds we grew up in were about as ‘ideal’ as you can get when It comes to a family unit.  While there is no actual ‘ideal’ family, I feel that we both received a huge benefit and leg up in life from coming from the families we did.  We were raised with values, morals, and common sense and were taught to believe in our convictions and stand up for them.”

Her goal as a lawyer:  “To give the children in each of my cases the opportunity to grow up in a family unit as close to possible to that which I grew up in.  I also realize and appreciate that that may not always mean, for one reason or the other, that children are raised by their biological parents.   As I deal with the cases I handle, I always strive to keep the children in mind and focus on giving them the best opportunity at becoming a well-adjusted, productive member of society.  I feel strongly that every child, no matter his or her background, deserves the best opportunity in life, no different from my own children.”

Common misconceptions about lawyers:  “That we all make a lot of money (yeah, right) and that we are all dishonest.”

The most challenging aspect of her profession: “Aside from trying to get work in this economy (because, contrary to popular belief, attorneys don’t just start getting rich when they pass the bar and are every bit as affected by a slow economy as anyone else), the most challenging part of being an attorney to me is trying to explain to clients that the law and what you feel is right or proper may not necessarily always coincide.  Throughout the 10 years that I have been practicing law, I have found that the law in our state overwhelmingly protects and serves to promote the best interest of children.  However, there will always be that small percentage of cases where the law just fails, where what is right and makes sense just doesn’t happen due to the way the law on a particular issue is written.  That is always hard for me.  I hate having to tell a client that he or she is going to get a raw deal because ‘it is the law.’  Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with that situation very often.”

How she spends her leisure time:  “As a full-time attorney who owns her own practice, a mother to three, and a Pell City school board member, I honestly don’t have a lot of free time.  However, when I do, I enjoy reading.  I am currently reading the Bible through in a year.  I am ashamed to admit that I have never done so.  I also enjoy spending time with my children.  My husband and I often joke that we don’t know what we did for entertainment before we had them.  I can just sit and observe them interacting with one another and listen to the things they say for hours on end.  There is honestly never a dull moment where my children are concerned.  Blaine, my husband, and I also enjoy traveling.  Our travels vary.  They may consist of an overnight trip to Atlanta to see John Mayer perform to spending a week on a tropical island.  Either way, we love to travel.  We enjoy the alone time and always come back from a trip, no matter how short or lengthy, refreshed.”

If she could have a conversation with any celebrity, it would be:  “John Mayer.  This is simply and perhaps selfishly because I have been a fan from the very being and have purchased tickets to enough concerts to at least deserve to sit down and have a conversation with the man.  I would also like to know if he is really as smart as he is reported to be.”

If stranded on desert island with one book, one meal, and one CD, she would choose: “The Bible.  Fried shrimp, baked potato with butter and sour cream and a Caesar salad.  ‘Continuum’ by John Mayer.”

Her favorite guilty pleasure: “It is a combination of Blue Bell chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, Cheetos cheese puffs, Diet Mt. Dew and a good movie.”

The food she hopes to never eat again: “I could honestly not care less if I never eat another piece of sushi again.  No matter how hard and often I try to acquire a taste for it, I just can’t.”

What makes her laugh:  “Three things:  Garrett, Myles and Lila.  My children, my loves and my life.  They are my joy and constant source of entertainment of the comedy variety.”

 The best part of being a mom:  “There are so many things that come to mind.  I guess they all boil down to one thing:  watching how one tiny act of intimacy between their dad and me has blossomed into these little miracles who bring so much joy and happiness to us and our entire families on a daily, if not hourly, basis.  I just enjoy watching them grow and take on their own personalities and mannerisms, all while retaining a little piece of their dad and me.  My children are constant reminders to me of what an awesome and mighty God we serve.”

Her favorite indulgence:  “Long, hot baths with scented bath salts and candles, with the door locked so I can’t be disturbed and Daddy watching the kids and dogs.  I have always been a bath person.  I take one every day.  I have a hand held shower in my tub for convenience and speed.  It still isn’t very often that I truly get to indulge in a long bath without interruptions though.  So that’s my favorite indulgence.  How sad is that?”