A periodic Q & A session with a Lewis Thomason (LT) lawyer
Lewis Thomason: When did you decide to become a lawyer?
Susan Carey: When I was a high school junior. My dad was a guidance counselor, and I am a nerd, so I listed my aptitudes and thought they lined up with being a lawyer. I have also always loved politics, so I wanted to be the first woman president or senator from Tennessee. I decided against politics after spending a semester working for a Congressman.
Lewis Thomason: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Susan Carey: Arguing before the Tennessee Supreme Court as an associate, making partner at my first law firm, having the opportunity to return to private practice at wonderful LT after 15 years of focusing on raising children.
Lewis Thomason: You’re stranded on a desert island – what music are you listening to?
Susan Carey: The soundtrack of Hamilton, Handel’s Messiah and opera.
Lewis Thomason: What motivates you?
Susan Carey: Gratitude and grace.
Lewis Thomason: What’s the best advice you ever received?
Susan Carey: Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Lewis Thomason: What is something popular now that annoys you?
Susan Carey: Alternative facts.
Lewis Thomason: What is one of the most memorable moments in your life so far?
Susan Carey: Attending the State of the Union Address.
Lewis Thomason: What book is on your bedside table (or on your e-reader)?
Susan Carey: Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor and Alexander Hamilton by Ronald Chernow.
Lewis Thomason: Describe your most memorable moment in a deposition or a trial?
Susan Carey: When a pro se plaintiff came up to me after court and gave me an apple.
Lewis Thomason: What is your favorite family vacation?
Susan Carey: New York City.
Susan West Carey is special counsel in Lewis Thomason’s Nashville office. She practices in the areas of employment law, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation and general casualty defense litigation. Ms. Carey’s practice is concentrated in civil trial litigation in state and federal courts. She has achieved successful results via both mediation and litigation. Ms. Carey’s current clients are national, regional and local employers, regional and local health care facilities, and insurance companies. In addition to her defense practice, Ms. Carey has produced written materials for and spoken at various continuing legal education seminars. Ms. Carey managed medical malpractice, general liability and employment litigation for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the nation’s largest hospital corporation, for 10 years before joining the firm.