Interview Series

Insights from a law school classmate

Matt Viera
April 21, 2023

Good morning and happy Friday!

Welcome back to The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to live the life you actually want to live.

I hope you had a productive week.

I started this newsletter with a focus on personal finance and building wealth.

However, I had the idea of creating an interview series.

I have many friends who are incredibly successful in their respective careers.

Each of these individuals can provide valuable insight into life and career success.

I emailed each individual a series of questions for them to answer.

My goal is to find key takeaways from their answers that I can apply to my life and career.

My hope is that their answers can do the same for you.

This week, I'd like to introduce my friend Ryan "Rammy" Ramstad.

Gosh, what can I say about Rammy?

Rammy and I met in 2005 when we first started law school together. We were in the same class together. And we ran in the same clique.

We had a lot of fun in Miami.

What I can say about Rammy is that I can count on one hand the number of people who actually know his first name.

I spent three years with the guy on a near-daily basis:

Classes
South Beach
Study groups
Miami Dolphins football games
St. Paddy’s Day (three years in a row)

I didn’t realize his first name was “Ryan” until a few days before we graduated from law school.

Rammy is one of the most interesting, unique, and genuinely authentic people I’ve ever met.

Rammy is an overall good guy. Unlike many of our friends, he tends to keep his nose clean and is the more rational of the bunch. After law school, Rammy returned to his home state in Virginia and stayed in touch (we spent a few weekends together in Atlantic City).

(Rammy, when are we hitting Vegas?)

And when he recently visited New York City with his family and was sure to let me know.

We met up for dinner.

Rammy & Me in NYC

Rammy spent quite a few years as a criminal defense attorney and is one of the few attorneys from our graduating class with any courtroom experience.

Rammy’s experience in the courtroom spans over a decade.

I’m happy he took the time out of his esteemed career as an attorney to answer these questions.

I hope you enjoy.

What motivated you to pursue a career in law? What motivated you to start your legal career in criminal defense?

Initially, I wanted to pursue a career in federal law enforcement.

A law degree is supposed to give you a leg up. After law school, I applied but it was during the 2008 recession and all the agencies had hiring freezes. I was already engaged at that point and a career in that field would involve moving at the mercy of the government.

I knew I wanted to have children and also knew I needed to get my career moving and could not wait much longer. Timing was bad so it made more sense to pursue a career in law locally so I would be able to reside near my family and friends and create stability.

What are some highlights/accomplishments of your career, e.g., cases you won, etc.

I bounced around a few private firms and practiced in multiple areas of law but it was not until I joined the public defender's office that I really came into my own.

People like to talk down on public defender offices, and that is not entirely unjustified, but we had a very strong office of smart, dedicated attorneys. Focusing and becoming an expert on one area of law, with all the tools and resources provided for us to succeed, really made a difference. I felt very comfortable in court and handled all types of crimes from traffic tickets to homicides.

I tried juries regularly and had great success. It was fun to be in control of the courtroom.

I had great instinct for predicting outcomes of cases and in one circumstance "called my shot" and predicted a victory in a serious robbery and malicious wounding trial that I did end up winning.

It was rewarding to help people. Eventually, a position in real estate law arose and it was a time for a new challenge. I feel I have grown quickly and have been able to assist people in my new role in the private sector.

How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

The first step towards success is failure but you will not truly learn unless you fail.

Failure is a part of life and is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you acknowledge what went wrong and how to avoid those pitfalls in the future. I failed often as a new attorney. Law school doesn't really teach you how to practice law and unless you have an incredible support system you will have to learn on the go which involves failing.

As I have matured and gained experience, I have less fear of failure.

The only way to develop and grow is to fail. When I started my career, I accepted whatever jobs I could get. Because of that I can appreciate a good position when I see it.

What are three lessons have you learned so far in your career as an attorney?

Most attorneys act like they know way more than they do. Do not be intimated. If you prepare properly you can beat anyone.

Find an office with a strong support system, people that you can rely on but also push to make you better, it will make your life and career so much more successful.

Money isn't everything. People think attorneys make tons of money, and many do, but most do not. Accept a position that pays a little less but provides you with a better work-life balance and makes your life more enjoyable.

What obsessions do you explore on the evenings or weekends?

I have 2 kids so basically just spending time with them and my wife. I find time to exercise and relax. I have started getting into golf since that seems to be a great way to conduct business.

What advice would you give your 20-year old self?

Invest in real estate.

Enjoy being young, dumb, and poor; responsibilities are overrated.

If you can have a billboard anywhere in the U.S., where would it be and what would it say?

It should be everywhere and say "No Wasted Days!"

My key takeaways:

""No Wasted Days!"

"The first step towards success is failure but you will not truly learn unless you fail."

"Accept a position that pays a little less but provides you with a better work-life balance and makes your life more enjoyable."

What are your key takeaways?

Interesting finds:

Check out this YouTube video from an attorney:

7 Money HABITS Keeping YOU POOR (and in debt)

What are the best US cities to live in for people who earn $100,000?

Read this: Why So Many People With Six-Figure Salaries Are Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck

Thanks for reading!

Please feel free to reply to this email with suggestions, questions, or comments.

If you have a question about personal finance or money, in general, send me an email and ask. I'll discuss the answer in a future issue of this newsletter.