Andrea McCurdy

An unlikely career pivot brought Andrea McCurdy back to the Oliver Law Firm

After several years of a successful career in general and family practice, the demands and challenges were leaving minimal time for Andrea McCurdy’s real passion: legal research and writing. So she called on a couple of old friends and made an unlikely pivot by joining the catastrophic injury team at the Oliver Law Firm.

From a distance, it might seem like she simply jumped out of the proverbial frying pan and into a red-hot oven. 

“Both areas really see people on their worst day,” Andrea said of her transition out of family law. “Nobody comes to see a lawyer because it’s their best day, and with catastrophic injury, it’s a devastating event for the person and their family.” 

In other words, her role with the Oliver Law Firm also came with a significant emotional investment. But it wasn’t the emotional investment that led her to seek a change. With three grown children, seven grandchildren, and two “fur baby” dogs, Andrea was looking to spend less time in court, more time with her friends and family, and more time tackling the type of legal work that fills her passion and utilizes her skill set. 

While in law school, Andrea worked as a clerk for Sach and Ryan. And after starting her own law firm, Andrea regularly saw them at church or at community events, so she was familiar with the growth and success of the firm. But it was the culture and commitment to justice for their clients that really drew her to join their team full time.

“I enjoy legal research and writing, and I excelled at that in law school,” said Andrea, whose collegiate awards include “Best Brief” in the Ben J. Altheimer Moot Court Competition. “So I reached out to Sach (Oliver) and Ryan (Scott) and asked if they had a need for someone in that role. I wanted to work with them because I knew the incredible type of men they are, and the ethical way they handle cases and fight for their clients.  I am so proud to now be a part of this team”

Andrea grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, and moved to Northwest Arkansas for college at the U of A. Since marrying and raising children, she and her family returned to the Ozarks in 2007, where they all quickly developed a passion for Razorback sports and for life in Arkansas. 

“The difference between this firm and most others law firms is that everyone is so appreciated for their skillset,” Andrea said. “Everyone is tasked with using their skills for their role. We all work on the cases, and no one handles a case alone from the beginning to the end. We’re a team and we work together, including the support staff. Nobody complains when the hours go long, because we’re all here to help our clients. I just have such respect for everyone on the team and their skills and how it plays into the case. It’s incredible teamwork.”

When she operated her own firm and practiced family law, Andrea pretty much did everything needed to handle a case from start to finish. Now she mostly works behind the scenes.

“It’s completely different,” she said. “My role is legal research and writing. I don’t interact with the clients as much. I meet them and am present for trials, but mostly I handle pleadings and motions and trial prep work. What I really like about it is logically trying to get to the end result to support our clients and get the best results for them, which in turn is going to better our community and make it safer. I think most lawyers dislike this part of the practice, but I truly love it.”

“I love everything about working with and getting to know our clients,” she said. “Getting to know them and build a relationship with them is a big part of what we do. They know they can call us any time, even after their case is closed.”

The greatest satisfaction, of course, comes when the results are favorable to the firm’s clients, which was the case recently when another attorney partnered with the Oliver Law firm to represent the family of a four-year-old whose mother and grandmother had been killed in in a car wreck. 

That comes with a considerable emotional investment, for sure, but the rewards from helping families in need are impossible to measure. And those rewards have made the pivot from family law to the Oliver Law firm a perfect fit for Andrea.

Education

University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D. 2012)

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (B.S. 2009)