Michael Levine shares his career path and advice

On September 25, 2014, the School of Law Career Development Office (CDO) presented "Get to Know... Michael Levine," the first of a series of talks created to expose students to a variety of law professionals and career paths.

Michael Levine is executive vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the largest community development support organization in the country. Levine is responsible for overseeing the legal affairs of LISC, including loans, government contracts, all legal work performed by in-house and outside counsel, and coordinating LISC board meetings. He was recently named by the National Law Journal as one of the 50 Outstanding General Counsel.

The New York-based nonprofit organization works to finance the needs of the poorest urban and rural communities in the country. Levine has created the financial and legal structure for hundreds of community development projects, including building supermarkets, charter schools, and housing for underserved neighborhoods. LISC also operates locally. Virginia LISC's Richmond office is involved in such projects as the new Petersburg library, Black History Museum, funding for new SEED businesses in Church Hill, low-income housing, and employment counseling.

Levine said he has always been involved in social causes. "The idea of using one's skills to make a difference in people's lives" led him to be interested in the legal profession. He said he wanted his career to make a difference.

Before going into public interest work, Levine worked for a Wall Street firm. The experience, he said, made him realize he wasn't comfortable with that type of work environment. He recommended that students "listen to their gut" to determine which areas of law fit, and which don’t appeal to their interests. 

Levine explained how different skills he developed in previous jobs have informed his work as general counsel, a position that requires both business and law skills.

Levine advised students to take courses in topics that are outside of their comfort zones. An environmental law class that he took in law school, he said, helped him to be sensitive to urban planning issues—such as brownfields—involved in his current work at LISC. The skills he learned in a mediation class helped him to negotiate contracts that make funding for LISC projects possible. 

Associate Dean for Career Development Janet Hutchinson explained, "Michael’s talk provided students a perspective they do not hear often—a business lawyer simultaneously working within the public and private sectors. He was able to demonstrate how the skills he has collected in a number of settings, including as an intern in the U.S. Attorney's office, as a judicial law clerk, and law firm associate inform the work he does today."

Levine added, "After 28 years, I still love my job. I am as passionate as the day I came in." He advised students to develop skills with a long-term career plan in mind. "You want to be able to become really good at something and be able to show people that," he said. He also suggested that students seek opportunities to contribute something of value, such as volunteering at an organization, even a non-legal one, that addresses issues they're passionate about and applying a legal lens to those issues.