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Paula Post: ‘It’s All About Relationships’

By Caitlin Keniston

The law is a calling for many lawyers. Attorney Paula Post found her calling at the helm of The Post Law Firm, where she created a people-first culture that focuses on the relationships at the heart of the practice of law.

“I always want to stay ‘true’ to who I am,” she said. Driven to provide the best service to her clients, a supportive environment for her team and a desire to give back to the industry and the community, Post has built the type of firm that is ‘true’ to the lawyer she’s always strived to be.

A Leader in the Making

A proud member of the “oldest city in the United States,” Paula Post was born and raised in St. Augustine where her family first settled in the early 1900s.

When she entered law school in 2006, she did so with purpose, serving as a law clerk for a small insurance defense firm within her first year. She had found her place in the industry, and she never looked back. Following graduation, she was brought onto the firm as an attorney. By 2014, she made partner at the largest statewide defense firm where she led a team of lawyers handling a caseload with as many as 15,000 open lawsuits.

“I was given autonomy to build my unit,” she said. “I love teaching. When a new attorney would start with my group or was assigned to some of my cases, I loved developing not only initial training, but weekly and monthly sessions, so the group could continue to learn and grow from each other and from our collective experiences.”

For almost a decade, Post developed a name for herself in the industry and bolstered a strong team around her – both within her firm and within the defense industry as a whole.

“There is only so much you can do if it’s not yours,” she said. “I am grateful for the opportunity and the valuable experience gained at my previous firm, but I felt constrained and ready to do more.”

Taking the Lead

From the outset, Post had a very clear vision of the firm she wanted to build and began implementing it day one.

“We put a great deal of thought into our core principles – Cultivation, Collaboration, Compassion and Community,” Post said. “It was important that these tenets applied not only to our team, but also in how we serve our clients and community.”

And these principles are not just a tagline on the firm’s website. Post has ensured these tenets pervade the practice with intention.

“They’re all interrelated,” she said. “At the heart of this is relationships, not just knowledge. Many individuals entering this field from law school overlook the fact that it’s fundamentally about serving others. It’s not just about legal expertise; it’s about understanding people, their requirements, and how to meet those needs with care and expertise.”

As the firm began to grow, Post ensured these principles were practiced daily and continues to model them in her interactions with clients, team members and opposing counsel.

We put a great deal of thought into our core principles – Cultivation, Collaboration, Compassion and Community.

Leading with Intention

“Throughout my career I’ve felt drawn to collaboration,” Post said. “From the beginning I knew collaboration was a key element of what we were going to do. It’s essential to how we work. It makes us better individually, as a group and as an industry.”

Within her firm, she has provided an atmosphere that fosters collaboration and cultivation with weekly one-on-one meetings and roundtable sessions. Outside of official meetings, the team is encouraged to rely on each other daily and work together on complicated issues.

“Cultivation is how we grow, and collaboration is how we work. I’ve seen some environments that don’t encourage this and I don’t think it’s beneficial to our team or to our clients,” Post said. “Continuous learning and improving is not only an option for us – it is necessary. It betters us for our clients.”

And these principles don’t stop at the firm doors. Post has long embraced the belief that we can all learn from each other. It’s not uncommon to walk into her office and see her laughing and smiling on the phone with opposing counsel.

“I often collaborate with attorneys on the plaintiff side – through a common issue with a creative solution for both our clients or something on a larger scale. Over the years, I’ve developed good, meaningful relationships with attorneys on the defense side and the plaintiff’s side as well.”

And when it comes to clients, Post has placed them at the forefront.

“Our clients come to us for various needs – they are the reason we have a firm – and we try to show our gratitude to them in how we treat them and handle their needs,” she said. “I learned early in my career, if you work hard and take care of your clients – the business will take care of itself. It is a natural result of doing what’s right. It always starts with your convictions.”

Giving Back

Growing up, Post’s parents taught her to be kind and work hard. She has taken that to heart and applies much of that in her daily practice. Before she attended law school, Post was involved in a few local nonprofits and committees dedicated to the betterment of the community.

“Now that I’ve established my own firm, I have the opportunity to give back again,” she said.

Today, the firm has set aside dedicated time to volunteer with St. John’s County Legal Aid pro bono clinic each month, pledged to work with Habitat for Humanity and launched an initiative to award a local educator with a free estate plan each month.

“This is just a small way we can give back,” Post said. “It’s really our day-to-day interactions with the people in our community where you see our impact.”

Perhaps the biggest “community” Post has developed is within her own firm. “We are a team,” she said. “We spend more hours here together than we do with our own family. We try to ensure we have a fun, respectful working environment. Our work is inclusive so all involved can take pride in our service to our clients and each other.”

Leading Forward

When it comes to growing her law firm, Post has done so with intention and without sacrificing quality for growth. She has mirrored the firm’s expansion on her own professional growth – finding the best way to serve clients. As she has recruited new attorneys and extended the firm’s services, she’s enhanced its credibility and fostered deeper trust.

“I could not do this without a team that’s so like-minded. I cannot give them enough praise. My team makes high performing and high standards the norm. I would love to continue to grow, I just want to do it in a mindful way,” she said. “I don’t ever want to be so focused on growing, that I sacrifice the quality of the work we do or the time we spend with clients. We’ll grow our team in the future but only at the right time.

“I wanted to build a firm where the people were the center of it all,” she continued. And from all accounts she has succeeded and with her unwavering focus will continue to do so for years to come.

At a Glance

The Post Law Firm
100 East Town Place, Suite 100
St. Augustine, Florida 32092
(904) 999-0549
thepostlawfirm.com

Paula Post: ‘It’s All About Relationships’

A Leader in the Making

Taking the Lead

Leading with Intention

Giving Back

Leading Forward

At a Glance

Practice Areas

Education

Professional Memberships

Hobbies

Favorite Quote

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