LAW.COM Interviews Firm Managing Partner Melissa Jones on her Path to Leadership of Stoel Rives

Firm Managing Partner Melissa Jones was interviewed by LAW.COM for an article titled “How I Made Firm Managing Partner: ‘Seize the Opportunities That Are Available,’ Says Melissa Jones of Stoel Rives,” published May 13, 2021. Jones discussed her legal career before joining Stoel Rives, what she feels was the deciding factor in her selection as firm managing partner and how the role has changed her day-to-day routine, and who was her greatest influence in propelling her to her leadership role.

Jones, who has been at Stoel Rives for nearly 10 years and became firm managing partner at the start of 2020, credits Bob Van Brocklin, Stoel Rives’ firm managing partner when she joined the firm, as the main influence in her attaining her current role. Starting soon after she joined the firm, Van Brocklin began steering her to a variety of leadership opportunities, culminating in her serving as the California offices managing partner.

Jones’s advice to partners interested in leadership roles in a law firm follows from Van Brocklin’s mentorship — seize all the opportunities available to them. “There are leadership roles at every level of a law firm, whether at the office or practice group level,” she said. “Look for opportunities to participate on firm committees (formal or informal) and do a good job when you do so. Serving in these roles helps you gain a broader understanding of the firm and improves your ability to build strong relationships across offices and practice groups.”