My name is Zara Watkins, and I've been making arguments for more than four decades (since the precocious age of 3).
My family and friends once thought I was hopelessly argumentative, until they realized making arguments is what I do best. It was only natural that I would end up arguing for a living.
I hung up my digital shingle (in 2007) after honing my legal research and analysis skills at Georgetown Law Center (graduating in 2003) and as a corporate bankruptcy associate at an international Big Law firm in midtown Manhattan (Torys LLP). That's where I learned to write from some of the best and brightest in the legal profession. (For more detail on my education and past work experience, see a copy of my resume here.)
In my opinion, persuasive argument making is a refined intellectual exercise. But it is also an art that requires more than technical knowledge. By focusing exclusively on appeals, substantive motions, and oral arguments, I get to combine my legal analysis training with my creative instinct to help lawyers and clients with their cases.
I love making arguments but I’m also an intrepid world traveler having visited 55 countries and counting, and long stints in Spain, Japan, India, Ghana, and Colombia. Interacting with people from so many different cultures has given me a unique insight into the minds of others, which serves me well when I’m anticipating the argument that will be the most persuasive.
“Zara is a legal dynamo who routinely produces arguments of the highest caliber.”
Plus, I’m an avid practitioner of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. In addition to keeping my stress levels down, my decades-long daily seated meditation practice aids in my argument-making by keeping my mind focused and clear. I also enjoy reading novels, gardening, and trying new recipes in my Instantpot. I’ve been preoccupied with how to maintain both a productive career and a satisfying lifestyle for most of my adult life. Follow my adventures in the leisure arts on Instagram – @zaraesque.
NOTE: I am admitted to practice before the courts of New York, Florida (inactive status), the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
