Becoming Empowered, Staying Empowered

For the layperson, legal issues and entanglements of any kind can be stressful and frightening.

Whether you’re facing a looming divorce, have been injured in an accident, or have a loved one under criminal investigation, the idea of navigating the landscape of the legal system is overwhelming and fraught with uncertainty. Of course, there are professionals to help you, and everyone knows a lawyer they can recommend, but finding the right legal team can be difficult. Tanglewood Moms recently sat down with Anna Summersett of Varghese-Summersett to discuss the matter from an attorney’s point of view.

Tanglewood Moms: Hi, Anna. First, I was hoping you could tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Anna Summersett: Well, I was born in Dallas, and spent most of my childhood outside, some in Florida, some in Arkansas, but mostly in Texas.  It was a “don’t come back until the sun goes down” kind of childhood that cemented in me a fierce sense of independence.  I joined the debate team in high school after my mother joked that, like most teenage girls, I excelled in arguments. After graduating high school in Texarkana, I went to Baylor University, where I majored in political science and minored in argumentation rhetoric. As a member of the Baylor Debate Team, I had my career path pretty well decided and graduated early to go ahead and get after it.  I visited what was then Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, now Texas A&M University School of Law, on the weekend of the Main St. Arts Festival.  I fell in love with Fort Worth that weekend and chose this place to be my forever home.

I met my husband while we were both interviewing for a job at the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, and we are now in the thick of life’s greatest adventure, raising our three beautifully wild boys: Knox (5), Wells (4), and Case (2).  I wake up each day, more grateful for God’s provision in our lives than the day before.

Photo courtesy of Anna Summersett

TWM: So, how, when, and why did you start your firm, Varghese-Summersett?

AS: In my late teens, I was the victim of a crime that was never prosecuted.  I wasn’t injured, but my sense of security vanished.  The naive idea that bad things only happened to other people evaporated.  I went to law school for the sole purpose of becoming a criminal prosecutor.  I wanted the white hat, the chance to change lives, heal old wounds, and make people feel safe again. I graduated law school and took the first prosecutor position I could get, in Cameron County, Texas. After about nine months I got the opportunity to interview for a position with Tarrant County.  I got the job and proudly served as a prosecutor for another four years, trying everything from DWIs to capital murders. I had the job of my dreams, at the best, most experienced office in the state, but at the time, nobody ever left that job, and my growth was stifled by seniority.

If I wanted to grow professionally, to have the opportunity to truly make a difference, I had to do it without government red-tape and seniority glass ceiling.  My husband, also a prosecutor at the time, was struggling with the same thing.  We put our heads together and evaluated our options and decided to start our own firm.  This firm has afforded us the freedom to tailor a client journey that truly impacts lives.  I finally feel like I am making a difference.

Photo courtesy of Anna Summersett

TWM: How has the firm grown and evolved over the years?

AS: When we started, all of the criminal defense attorneys we knew were solo practitioners and they looked stressed.  Trying to balance the rigors of daily law practice with the stressors of running a successful business seemed near impossible to do alone.  So, we flipped the script and decided to build a team.  The early years were full of self-sacrifice as we staffed the firm with the best and brightest trial lawyers we could find.

We spent the next several years building a business model that more closely resembles a five-star service industry than a traditional law firm. We built out a stunning Class-A office space to provide our clients with a calm respite from their darkest problems.  We created a client journey that more closely resembles a journey of healing through trauma than a traditional results focused model.  We’ve found significant success with this model and the impact it has had for our clients. Our clients have responded in kind, giving us more five-star reviews than any law firm in Fort Worth.

Photo courtesy of Anna Summersett

TWM: How has becoming a mother changed the way you approach being an attorney?

AS: It has completely changed the way I practice law and how I define success in that pursuit.  As a young trial attorney, I was fueled by the adversarial nature of the job.  I put on my gloves and prepared for a fight each time I stepped into the courtroom. I believed I needed the traditional win for justice to be served.  Since becoming a mother, I’ve realized that so much more of life is about the journey than about the ultimate result.

My goal is for our clients to be in a better position after resolving their case than when they start working with us, a better position financially and logistically, of course, but also in a better position as people.  Compassionate empathy doesn’t just happen; you must plan for it, create processes to ensure it happens.  That is what I am now focused on in the practice of law.

Photo courtesy of Anna Summersett

TWM: Facing legal matters is often a scary proposition. What advice do you have for people when faced with a daunting legal matter?

AS: The advice I wish people facing legal trouble would hold onto is to become and stay empowered throughout the process.  I’ve found that a lot of individuals, when stressed by life’s circumstances, pull an ostrich; sticking their head in the sand hoping the situation will resolve before they pop back up.  Generally speaking, it won’t, and you’ll be in a worse position due to passage of time, lost evidence, and lack of intervention by learned counsel.  If you were wronged in some way and find yourself in need of legal representation, please understand your action, and inaction, are vitally important on the journey toward resolution.  I encourage you to take an active role in protecting yourself; Do not wait for a bad situation to get worse; Being proactive is often the best form of preservation.  By taking control of your life’s narrative, seeking experienced representation, and leaning into their counsel, you will be afforded the best opportunity to obtain the justice you deserve.  This advice applies across the board; as much to a loved one being investigated for a criminal offense, as a single mother is going through divorce, as to a family injured in a trucking accident.  Be proactive in protecting your future.  In most cases, the consultation is free, and the advice could be priceless.