This interview originally appeared in the SPRING 2018 issue of The District.

Morristown High School Alum Jami Wintz McKeon, Class of 1974, is the Chair of the largest law firm in the world run by a woman.  We were able to catch up with Jami to learn more about her fabulous career and memories of Morristown High

MEF:  Tell us a little bit about your journey since high school?

JWM:  I graduated Morristown High School in 1974 and the rest is fairly linear.  I went to the Pennsylvania State University, studying political science and then graduated from Villanova University School of Law in 1981.  I went right on to Morgan Lewis after that.  So I basically have had two jobs in my life - a lifeguard for Morris County and an attorney for Morgan Lewis. 

At the firm, I began as an associate, then became a partner, then the Chair of the Litigation Practice Group, which is the firm’s largest group, and I was elected Chair of the Firm in 2014.  Along the way I have had four children, who range in age from 17-34, and I now have two grandchildren and a husband who also has a busy career.  I am also very active in community activities, serving on the boards of several nonprofits and on the Advisory Board of the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession.

MEF:  What are you up to today?

JWM:  This is my fourth year as Chair of Morgan Lewis.  We are one of the 5 largest law firms in the United States and one of the largest 25 law firms in the world - and we are the world’s largest firm run by a woman.  We have approximately 2000 lawyers and about 4000 total personnel.

Our law firm is often described as a full service, relationship firm.  We represent clients across a wide array of their complex global corporate needs, crossing over many industries, geographies and disciplines.  Our firm serves those clients through deep relationships with them, and the way in which we provide those services and the fully integrated approach we take is our brand.  We have invested a lot of time and resources to develop an exceptional client service program, training every one of our employees in the philosophy of delivering the best service to our clients and bringing forth principles of creativity, innovation, consistency and empathy.  People tend to describe lawyers as negative, stuck in the mud or mired in the past, but the reality is that our clients come to us for creative and innovative ways to deal with complex problems.  At Morgan Lewis, we put a lot of emphasis on that creative mindset.

MEF:  What inspired you to become an attorney?

JWM:  There is a strong correlation between people who are actors and people who are trial attorneys, and that held true in my case.  I always participated in theater, always enjoyed the art of debate, and always loved engaging in group problem-solving with smart and creative people.  I am the eldest of four children and I’m told that it is not unusual for first-borns to be protective advocates for others and try to fix their problems.  I think all of those things combined to lead me to be interested in law.  When I went to law school, I did not know what to expect, but I discovered that I really loved studying law.  When I tried it, it fit me perfectly.  As a lawyer, you really do get to help people for a living.  While people think that the skill sets for doctors and lawyers are different, their motivation is often the same in my experience - using knowledge and education to help other people achieve their goals and objectives.

MEF:  Tell us about what it is like to run such a prestigious law firm.

JWM:  Honestly, it is great.  I am very lucky and blessed with the fact that I’ve been at Morgan Lewis for a long time.  I have stayed because of the culture of the firm – it is a collaborative environment with very smart people who genuinely like each other.  I am surrounded by people who have tremendous good will and believe in giving back and using our education and resources to do something good in the world.  It is truly a privilege to lead that kind of group.  It has been a great opportunity for me to work with people all around the world, as we have offices in the United States, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.  We have fantastic clients, and I am proud that we are able to provide outstanding representation for them and also make life good for our employees and their families.  It is challenging work but it is creative and interesting.  In addition, I get to spend a lot of time with other leaders of law firms around the world, and I learn a lot from them.  I feel fortunate to have the job I have.

MEF:  What are you most proud of?

JWM:  I am most proud of the culture of our firm.  We have topflight lawyers in elite practices helping clients with incredibly complex problems all around the world.  Add to that the diversity of our work, giving back through pro bono services, and our commitment to doing good things in society.  This culture allows us to be a top-performing law firm, a great place to work, and a supportive member of our communities.

MEF:  What was your favorite memory of Morristown High School?

JWM:  What I loved the most about Morristown High School was the diversity of activities available.  There was a wide range of classes for every academic level, and something for every interest.  I loved the musicals and theater program.  I loved being a cheerleader and watching all the sports. (My nephew plays for MHS Baseball now and I love watching his games.)  The diversity of people and opportunity that exists at MHS is huge and both of those were really significant for me.  If you are surrounded by people who come from different backgrounds and interests, you get more of a view of how the world looks and thinks.  This has never been more important that at this particular point in time.  What you really need to be successful is to be with and learn from people who have different perspectives from your own.

MEF:  What of your success would you attribute to your experiences at the high school?

JWM:  I absolutely would attribute much of my success to Morristown High School for many reasons.  First, growing up and being surrounded by others whose experiences were not the same as my own was an advantage.  Being in that environment helped me be have a broader view and to be more empathetic, more aware, and a better leader.  Second, being part of a large high school did a lot for me.  It drove me to want a large university that gave me experiences and opportunities that made me a stronger contributor once I got into the workforce.  I give a lot of credit to MHS - those years were very formative for me and had a big impact on how my life unfolded.

MEF:  What advice would you give a MHS student?

JWM:  Take advantage of every opportunity that you can learn something from.  Appreciate the diversity of your classmates and actively seek out people who aren’t just like you, don’t want to study same thing, or are from a different neighborhood – it will make you a better adult.  There are great choices in the world – don’t be intimidated by them, but rather be open to them.  Don’t limit yourself based on the path you are on today – no decision is immutable.  You can change your mind.  You can change your course of study or your career, take a gap year, follow a passion.  The world is wide and so be open to it.  High school is a small microcosm of the real world.  Your successes and failures in high school will help you with the rest of your life, but don’t be defined by either.  So much in life is unwritten, so be sure to have a growth mindset, learn from everything, experiment, try things, and discover a path that works for you.  That’s all part of the journey.

MEF:  What is your favorite memory from the high school?

JWM:  The shows were great.  I loved every one of them.  Those experiences were amazing; there were so many different people that worked together to make theater happen.  We also had terrific sports teams and I was a sports fanatic.  I enjoyed all of the extracurricular activities with the teams.  When I look back at high school, the best thing is that the pictures in my mind rarely involve the same people.  I was lucky to have so many groups of friends and colleagues and they often didn’t overlap.  That is the wallpaper of my high school experience and I hold that close to me.  I can think back fondly on so many people and experiences, and I am glad I had such a diversity of interests and friends.  I truly associate my high school experience with a full community.

MEF:  If you had known then what you know now, would you have done anything differently in high school?  If so, what?

JWM:  Yes; I would have paid more attention in my classes!  I treated most things really as an assignment and something to be dispatched in the least possible time.  I did not spend as much time thinking or enjoying the academics for the sake of the academics.  In high school you have that chance every day and I think unfortunately, the social nature of high school is such that people are intimidated from speaking up and it is not as welcoming an environment as it could be.  The luxury of sitting in the room with 18 other people and talking about a book, a chemical formula, a concept, or a point in history is lost on most of us when we are young, and I wish I had taken better advantage of that opportunity!

MEF:  Anything else to add?

JWM:  I want to give a shout out to the dozens of teachers and parents who really invest in kids, and encourage those still in high school both to appreciate and lean on them when they need to.  When I was a sophomore in high school, we had a musical that was student-led.  I got my mom to come in as a choreographer and from then on (and for years and years after) she directed the musical.  She had such great impact on so many young people.  I met someone in San Francisco 30 years later who grew up in Parsippany and knew of my mom for her work on the show.  When we celebrated my mom’s 70^th birthday, more than a hundred kids and their families came back to toast and thank her for their dedication to them and for the difference she made.  This is such a powerful opportunity – parents and adults in the community can really impact the culture of the school and be incredible role models, surrogate parents, or advocates for a child.  I hope people will take the opportunity to lend their talents and skills to public education – there are many students and not enough bodies in large public high schools.  Community members can do something very meaningful and rewarding and make a difference in the lives of students, and this is an important thing in life to be doing.  I will always be grateful to all the people who took an interest in and encouraged me – even if I didn’t recognize it until many years later!