Maraleen Shields says that growing up, what she knew of law came from watching television and movies in the '80s and '90s. “Clair Huxtable and Maxine Shaw seemed like the type of women I would like to be,” she says. When she joined the mock trial team in high school, Shields says she was hooked. “It was probably the best training I could have ever received.”
But Shields does not have any specific recollection of deciding to pursue law. “After nearly 20 years of practicing law, I realize that the trick is not so much deciding to pursue law, but continuing to choose law, which can be incredibly demanding,” she says. “I am still choosing the law, but my understanding of what that means has broadened considerably since I was a kid. I've learned quite a bit about defining success for myself.”
Shields began her career in Philadelphia at Saul Ewing and Reed Smith, which she calls two excellent large law firms. While Shields says she could not have asked for more from a firm in terms of interesting, high stakes litigation and opportunities for growth, she knew her career in Philadelphia would be short lived. “After I settled in the Lehigh Valley, I had the chance to settle down and develop my foundational skills as an attorney at Post & Schell and Stevens & Lee, handling medical malpractice claims for several years. When I came to Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba (FLB), I left the full-time world of medical malpractice litigation feeling confident in my ability to try a case and ready for the challenge that was expanding my practice.”
Shields says in her private practice at FLB, she's developed an interesting mix of commercial and personal injury litigation while keeping a foot firmly planted in the healthcare world through her work with HIPAA, licensure and medical staffs. “My work as Assistant Solicitor of Bethlehem is even more varied. I never know what the day will bring, and I like it this way. My mission never really changes. I am focused on effective communication and strong advocacy, but I ultimately exist to assist and guide my clients through challenging periods and navigate unfamiliar territory.”
In 2017, Shields became the first person of color to be a shareholder at FLB. “There is tremendous pressure and responsibility when you are the first or only of anything,” she says. “The successes and failures of the first and only of anything tend to be unfairly amplified. I am cognizant of and feel responsible for how I show up in spaces. At FLB, my goal, and my duty, is to push my colleagues to think critically and intentionally about attracting the best and brightest talent who will not just fit, but add to the firm.”
Marleen Shields (Voices of the Valley), S20E6 from The PEAK TV on Vimeo.
Marleen Shields (Voices of the Valley), S20E6 from The PEAK TV on Vimeo.
Published as "Voices of the Valley" in the October 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
