When Eric Schmadeke first joined Indianapolis law firm Densborn Blachly in 2013 as a litigator, it was a career sea change for him.
Overnight, he switched roles as a tough state criminal prosecutor to private corporate lawyer; from a prosecutor who was addicted to the cut and thrust of court room drama, to suddenly helping clients find solutions – although eager to go to court for them if necessary.
“It was not my intended direction to go right into criminal law – it actually happened by mistake,” Eric laughs. “I don’t think I knew when I was at law school what kind of lawyer I was going to become. But I did know that whatever kind of lawyer, it needed to have something to do with the courtroom. That was always on the cards.”
“Overnight, he switched roles as a tough state criminal prosecutor to private corporate lawyer; from a prosecutor who was addicted to the cut and thrust of court room drama, to suddenly helping clients find solutions – although eager to go to court for them if necessary.”
To that end after his first year as a student, Eric joined a summer abroad programme that included practical legal experience in Greece and London. It was invaluable. It was also a lot of fun.
“The programme involved working my way down the Peloponnesian Peninsula and into the Greek islands, basically having a class in whatever hotel ballroom I was staying at that day,” he recalls. “Really not bad. Olympia, Delphi, all those famous places that are just so beautiful. And, of course, the islands. At 25 years old, Mykonos is about as good a place as you can ever be visiting.”
