Lunch with Jody
At our readers' urging, we had lunch today with Jody Stahancyk, the take-no-prisoners divorce lawyer who vanquished us in the WW Mayoral Madness contest a couple of weeks ago. Stahancyk is currently in the final round against actor Timothy Hutton, and although she really, really wants to win, she took time out from her busy campaign schedule to feed us and schmooze.
Lunch was held at her small office building near the old Mallory Hotel and Lincoln High School, and as readers predicted, the food was prepared by Stahancyk's law firm's private chef. And it was good.
To say that Stahancyk is a character would be putting it mildly. A rugged native of Prineville, she's the center of a sizable universe. In addition to a handful of other attorneys, her firm includes a small army of impeccably dressed, well spoken 20-somethings who attend to all of the boss' needs, including running a DIY divorce website and lots and lots of marketing. They were all on hand for lunch. They do this every day. They have their own chef.
Stahancyk and we told each other stories and asked each other questions for the better part of an hour and a half, with her doing about 80% of the talking. She is proud of her practice, which seems to include several unorthodox features, and she touts her relationship with the many young people with whom she surrounds herself. Of course, like many attorneys, she's not the least bit shy about sharing her philosophy -- about law practice, divorce, work-family balance, and any number of other topics. She'd make an excellent blogger, and she's got plenty of people around to help her do it.
It takes all kinds to make a world, and Stahancyk is definitely one of a kind. Some would say that's a good thing, although she does appear to have many admirers.
Anyway, this was not your father's law firm, that's for sure. If we hadn't seen it with our own eyes, we would not have believed it.
| Posted at 3:02 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (16)
Is a free lunch worth a Bojack endorsement for Stahancyk on the blog?
Posted by reader | April 20, 2012 3:37 PM
Did somebody make an endorsement? I didn't.
Posted by Jack Bog | April 20, 2012 3:40 PM
Oh, I was there and she talked 90% of the time. Let's get it straight. We all enjoyed the 10% you contributed, though.
Posted by Princess W | April 20, 2012 3:45 PM
I was asking if you WOULD be making an endorsement, not implying that you had.
Posted by reader | April 20, 2012 4:09 PM
Are you offering me another lunch?
Posted by Jack Bog | April 20, 2012 4:20 PM
The phrase "damning with faint praise" comes to mind.
Posted by Justin | April 20, 2012 4:42 PM
Street fighters have a place in our culture. Hawk and Spenser come to mind.
Posted by David E Gilmore | April 20, 2012 4:57 PM
No, but Timothy Hutton might.
Posted by reader | April 20, 2012 5:27 PM
That's cool, Jack. Thanks.
Posted by Mojo | April 20, 2012 5:29 PM
If you had a "like" button, I would like Justin's comment.
Posted by Anon | April 20, 2012 6:03 PM
What a great story! Worth your losing to get it, IMHO. Voting for Jody, now. Good to know that the Portland of real characters isn't completely dead.
Posted by dyspeptic | April 20, 2012 7:04 PM
I don't envy Jody...Making a career which depends on the suffering of others, and then kicking the opposing spouse while they're down.
Divorce attorneys have a vested interest in running up the billable hours, often to the detriment of the estate they're dividing, and both clients.
Posted by Mister Tee | April 20, 2012 7:18 PM
Glad you enjoyed yourself.
However, Timothy Hutton had me at "Ordinary People."
It may be my longest relationship and I won't let a divorce lawyer get in the way.
Posted by Talea | April 20, 2012 8:20 PM
I have a big problem with the way Stahancyk practices law--"Rambo tactics" comes to mind. And sticks. Her cult of personality with those 20-somethings and "colleagues" disturbs me. And to re-affirm: she is the clear alpha in that firm; equals are few and far between; she WILL be the center of attention--by gravity or otherwise--and her minions (everybody else) will like it. True for the Portland office and elsewhere. IMO.
Posted by Lex DeNovo | April 20, 2012 8:29 PM
Any lawyer woth his or her salt has a really big ego,thats one of the things that seperates the really good ones from the run of the mill lawyers.I just hope to God I never have to face (or hire) her....
Posted by john dull | April 21, 2012 10:53 AM
She surrounds herself with very young and inexperienced people because anyone with a more fully developed sense of self will have nothing to do with her. Jody does not just have a big ego (which by the way is hardly an indicator of a truly great lawyer), she has a finely-honed skill set developed to increase tension and animosity between divorcing parties and their children. This increases the time she bills to the file. This increases her income. It isn't that original of a way to practice, but most family law lawyers don't do things that way because it is so unethical and despicable.
I have noticed one thing about the type of person that seeks Jody out for representation: they are usually very bitter and angry people who cannot face the fact that they were partially responsible for the breakdown of their marriage. They are hateful, spiteful sorts who choose a lawyer based on how much they can piss off their spouse. They are often overweight middle-aged women who have never developed their own lives, but rather lived through their husband and their children.
Jody will win this thing: it has been money well-spent for her in the publicity department. She will continue to deplete the assets of her clients and their spouses and families with a smile on her face and a song in her heart, while creating negative and vicious feelings that the families will carry on with them for years.
Jody, in short: you suck. The joke around town is that if someone murdered you, the police would never be able to pin down just one suspect out of the thousands who despise you. If that makes you proud, so be it. You seem to adore being hated.
Posted by Princess Kyle is a sycophant | April 23, 2012 3:08 PM