When 8-year-old Jessica Mederson voraciously read her father’s “John Carter of Mars” comic books and sat on his lap to watch the original “Star Wars” films, she never imagined that her future career as an attorney would allow her to grow in her love for sci-fi.
Years later, Mederson is the managing partner of Hansen Reynolds LLC’s Madison office. She started at Hansen Reynolds’ Milwaukee office and still works in Milwaukee once a week with many of the law firm’s local clients.
Mederson recently presented for the third time at Comic-Con International: San Diego, the largest comic and pop culture convention in the country, which was held from July 19 to 23.
At this year’s Comic-Con, she and California e-discovery attorney Joshua Gilliland moderated the panel “Judges on Star Wars,” which featured six distinguished judges from around the country discussing various legal issues presented in the “Star Wars” world, including light saber ownership rights and the legal rights of droids and clones.
“I am never as popular as I am at Comic-Con,” Mederson joked. “Its cool to take my legal interests and combine them with something a little bit more lighthearted.”
Speaking in front of 500 “Star Wars” fans for the panel was enough to give Mederson the jitters, but after 15 years of practicing law, she said she values the opportunity to work closely with the panel’s judges – especially in a setting outside the courtroom.
Mederson said she values Hansen Reynolds’ continued support of her “quirky” passion. Since her Comic-Con debut, Mederson has connected with other legal professionals and prospective clients who appreciate her and share a love for sci-fi.
“Lawyers are often seen as inhuman, and I think because of the fact that I do have this interest, clients are able to relate,” Mederson said.
