Fast Five: Tara Malek lays down the law - for good
By DEVIN WEEKS
For Coeur Voice
Meet Tara Malek, former county prosecutor and assistant U.S. attorney, now co-owner and chief litigator of one of the fastest-growing law firms in Idaho, Smith + Malek, PLLC.
Generation:
An old soul!
Career and community involvement:
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) board member.
1. What motivated you to pursue a career in the field of law?
“I wanted to change the world through advocacy and help fight on behalf of others so they could reach their personal and career goals. The pursuit of justice is what drives me.”
2. How does your law office do things differently from your competitors or traditional practices?
“We exist to change the world for the better. Everything we do revolves around that central tenet. To that end, we have instituted policies and practices to make the lives of our employees and the lives of those in the communities in which we work, better.
“For instance, we have completely eliminated the partnership track at our firm. Instead, our attorneys are treated like partners and have the benefit of being equity partners from the get-go. We have also instituted a paid parental leave program for all attorneys and staff. Our employees receive 12 weeks of 100 percent of their pay while out on parental leave, and (it) encompasses childbirth and adoption. We also don’t require that they exhaust vacation time before taking that leave.”
3. What do you find the most fulfilling about your job, and what is the most challenging?
“Changing the practice of law and eliminating institutional barriers for women and parents is one of the most fulfilling things about my job. The practice of law in and of itself is challenging but what is most challenging is seeing that the profession of law still has pockets of gender discrimination.”
4. What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
“I speak three languages and I am a second-degree black belt.”
5. What is your favorite courtroom-inspired show or movie and why?
“I absolutely love ‘My Cousin Vinny’ because it is laugh-out-loud funny and I love that Marisa Tomei was the car expert on the stand.”