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Eight Lawyers With Inspirational Dads

In honor of Father's Day, we rounded up eight legal industry stars who might not have gotten their start if it weren't for their inspirational dads. (Send us stories about your great fathers here.)

E. Barrett Prettyman

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Hogan Lovells of counsel E. Barrett Prettyman has an experience not many people see in their lifetimes: seeing his name on a federal courthouse. The E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse was named for his father, a former chief judge on the US Court of Appeals for DC, and it holds the US District Court, US Court of Appeals and FISC. Barrett has had his own impressive career, arguing 19 cases before the Supreme Court, being the DC Bar's first president, fighting in WWII and serving as special assistant to the US AG.

Janis Schiff

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Retail guru Janis Schiff is co-chair of Holland & Knight's National Retail Development and Leasing Team. She's worked on projects that range from the 10-acre CityCenter to the $1.5B Wharf. Her start in real estate began, however, in high school, as Janis did title work for her father, a real estate appraiser.

Bob Bennett

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Arent Fox senior policy adviser Bob Bennett served in the Senate, representing Utah from '92-'11. He followed in the footsteps of his politician father, Wallace Bennett, who also was a US Senator from Utah from '51 to '72. Both even sat at the Senate's candy desk.

James Baker IV

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Baker Botts was founded in 1840 in Houston. James Baker IV (left) known as Jamie, is the chair of the firmwide Global Projects Department and a member of the executive committee. He follows a long line of lawyers: his great-great-grandfather, a name partner of Baker Botts, joined the firm in 1872; his grandfather worked at the firm; and his father James Baker III—the former Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State—is currently a Baker Botts senior partner.

Liz Stern

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Mayer Brown Global Mobility & Migration practice chair Liz Stern got her start in considering international mobility issues at a young age: her father was an Ecuadorian diplomat and her first language was Spanish.

Josh Galper

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As chief policy officer and general counsel to tech company Personal, Josh Galper has a full schedule handling the company's privacy, public policy, communications and legal needs. The Yale Law grad and former Patton Boggs, Orrick, and Sidley lawyer got his first taste of the legal life delivering letters for his dad's law firm at the tender age of 10.

Rob Weiner

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Arnold & Porter partner Rob Weiner influenced not only his daughter's start in the legal industry but also her community involvement. Courtney and Rob worked together on the DC delegation to the ABA House of Delegates. Courtney also chaired the first DC Bar Foundation Go Formal For Justice Gala, a proud moment for her dad, a former DC Bar Foundation president.

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There are many great dads who aren't biological fathers. Wiley Rein partner Brian Pandya is lucky to have a lawyer father-in-law. A couple of years ago, Brescoll & Brescoll's Dennis Brescoll even made the motion for Brian's admission to the US Supreme Court bar.