10 Minutes With Tipton: Attorney Allan Bailey
10 Minutes with Tipton is a new series on the Education Page. Students in the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program at Tipton Elementary School take time to Zoom with individuals in the community to ask them questions about their jobs, lives and strategies they can use in their own lives to help them become college and career ready.
What is your job title/role in our community?
“I am a Partner at Krase, Bailey, Reedkrase LLC. It is a General Civil Practice. We help people who have a variety of civil matters including money, property, contract disputes, probate, wills trust, business and real property transactions. We presently do not handle criminal law matters in our office. But we are looking for an attorney who does.”
Please tell us a little bit about yourself — Your background, where you grew up, your family.
“I grew up in Orem, Utah. Orem is right next to Provo and about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City. I am the fifth of six children. I am married and have children of my own. I lived in Orem until I served a two-year proselytizing mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in Northeast Germany, then I attended college in Provo at (Brigham Young University) and then I went to law school in Indianapolis. I have lived in Porterville for 13 years.”
What do you love about your career?
“I love that every day presents something different and new; my job is never boring. I have never thought my work was boring, not even one day. I love being able to help people and solve problems in their lives. I love the intellectual challenge of my work that I get to do every day.”
When did you begin your career? Can you provide us with a career history?
“I began practicing law when I graduated from law school in 2008 and I have been at the same law office the whole time. I first started working for Mr. Robert Krase, as an associate of his, and then I later became his partner along with Alexander Reed-krase. Mr. Krase passed away about a month ago, so it leaves Alex and I as partners in the law firm. So, in my legal career I've really only had one job.”
What do you dislike about your career?
“I wish I could better embrace uncertainty. Often in my job, you just don't know how things are going to turn out — how a judge will rule, or what decision a jury will make, or what an opposing party will do. Another thing I don't like is inane discovery battles. Discovery is part of litigation where both sides ask each other questions and seek documents and information. Usually, the other side doesn't want to tell you the information you seek and that you have a right to get, so you have to file motions with the court asking the judge to order compliance with the discovery requests. I do not particularly enjoy doing that. But I will do it, if necessary.”
Would you encourage others to pursue your career?
“Yes, and I often encourage people to look into law as a career choice. If you like reading and writing, if you're interested in civics and politics and how the government works and the justice system and you're a good, hard-worker then I would encourage you to at least consider a career as an attorney.”
What is something that might surprise members of the public (either about you, or your career)?
“A lot of times when I talk to people about being an attorney they automatically think I spend all day in a courtroom either trying to put someone in
jail or get them out of jail. That's not what I do. I am a civil attorney, so usually what I am doing is helping people to review their transactions to lease, buy or sell a property, help with an argument with an employee or employer, or help someone get money owed to them. People are often surprised to hear that I do not do anything with the criminal justice system or that I am not at court all day.”
What advice do you have for young people who might be pursuing your line of work?
“If you want to be a lawyer you need to know that you have to work hard and long and you need to really like reading and writing. Other advice I give to people is to talk to other lawyers and to go see what a lawyer does day-to-day. It's not like on TV. But if you can do that, it can give you an idea if this work interests and excites you. Also, you should only go to law school if you want to be a lawyer. There are a lot of ways to get a post-graduate education that are less expensive if you don't know what you want to do after college and you want to continue your education.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“I see myself working out of the same office, handling a lot of the same types of matters that I now handle. But hopefully, I would be more experienced and provide better value for my clients.”