Today we’d like to introduce you to Clayton Fitzgerald
Hi Clayton, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I believe this sort of question will always cause a response of “well when i was young” and I guess i am no exception. Who I am now unfolds from my childhood, as most do. I am the second born of four, my older brother two years older than me and my youngest sibling seven years younger. I was born in Jacksonville, Texas, so a Texas native, but spent most of my younger youth years in Connecticut, from the age of about four or so to around twelve. My father is currently a preacher in east Texas, and we moved up north when I was 4 for him to pursue seminary for that purpose.
My siblings and I were homeschooled until I was in 4th grade when we entered a private school ran by our local church. During the eight or so years i lived in Connecticut, from the age of four to twelve my father attended seminary and was a janitor at four different locations (the church we attended, a local high school, an upscale office space, and a shipment warehouse). My mother attended cosmetology school during the days, so us four children spent most of the time alone, my older brother being eight or nine at the time. We were taught how to cook, change the youngest’s diapers, clean, do our school work, and prepare the house by night when my parents would come home. On nights when my father had multiple locations to clean he would take us with him. My older brother and I would help clean the facilities and would usually sleep in my father’s car while he would drive to the next location.
My family struggled to make end’s meet most months. The reality of having four children off of what I assume to be minimum wage meant that some nights we went without, some days we slept in motels, and for months I remember couch surfing from house to house with different members of our church. My parents would tell us we were “camping out” sort of like vacation. I didn’t know any better at six and seven. What I do remember, and did understand at that time, is that whenever we would donate dry foods and cans to the local church for food drives and holiday donations we would always leave with a basket of goods that contained what we had donated ourselves, since our family was on the list of those “in need.” Still, my parents taught us to give no matter the circumstance.
My parents were fantastic role models who molded me into what I am today, what I have achieved and aspire to continue doing. Family is what caused me to pursue the career and path that I find myself on now.
When I was twelve years old we returned to Texas and moved in with my mother’s family. Unbeknownst to me at the time, reality was that my parents had declared bankruptcy, the car was repossessed, and we had bluntly “ran out of money”. We lived with my mother’s family until a year had passed, we enrolled into public school for the first time in my life at the age of twelve, going on thirteen, which is when everything changed.
One of my siblings came forward that a family member had been sexually assaulting them for the past year. I was unaware of the activity but was physically close in proximity each time it occurred, so I took the stand at trial. Our outside family shunned us for “coming forward” instead of “dealing with it within the family.” We had now moved states, knew no one, and were now isolated from the family we did know. This put immense pressure on my parents, who split when I was seventeen (however, rekindled and reunited at a later time, a story of their own). Throughout the ordeal the one person who brought us through was the district attorney assigned to our case. We were new to town, knew no one, and he treated us like family. He walked us through the process, aided us at every step, was there for my siblings and helped me immensely on the stand. I looked up to him as a role model. At the time I was an extremely troubled teen. I was expelled numerous times, vandalized, found myself in the back of a patrol car, “hung with the wrong crowd”, etc. The only thing I had going for me was that I was a perfectionist with my grades. I graduated 3rd in my class and pursued college as instructed by my school’s counselor. However, with neither parents nor grandparents attending college I had no direction, no guidance. I winged my way through most of it and eventually, by the grace of God, after enduring other events, graduated.
With no direction of where to go with my life in my early 20s, I remembered my childhood, what was left of it, at the age of twelve and thirteen, and remembered the district attorney that got me through one of my darkest seasons. I decided, at that moment, to apply to law school, a grueling process on its own. Eventually, after a year of attempts on the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test), and a round of applications, I was accepted by the University of Houston Law Center. I graduated in 2021. To pay homage to my upbringing, and gratitude for those who put me on this path, I was sworn in by the same judge that overheard my sibling’s case fourteen years prior.
I worked at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office my first year of law school. To say that my hat goes off to those in thay field does not say enough. With my childhood, it was the sort of work that I was able to stomach. I worked as much as I could, but eventually settled for civil work. I started my career as a personal injury attorney, switched to defending personal injury matters, and now I work in tax litigation at Ryan Law, in Dallas, Texas.
Nothing beats working for the little guy and going after the largest guy there is, Uncle Sam. To say I am grateful for the district attorney, the judge, my parents, siblings, and those closest to me is an understatement. (Hopefully I did not overindulge, I have a tendancy to ramble)
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My parents tried to make it as smooth as possible. My struggles are unfortunately a common struggle for most. A large part of my childhood I can sum up as “without.” We never had money for much, and every week we would collect soda cans from the facilities my father cleaned and we would stock pile and visit a local grocery store and for each soda can they would give you $.05 to recycle. With the $20 or $30 we would get groceries, left over $1 or $2 our parents would give us to buy a toy at the dollar general that was nearby. I remember one year receiving toy donations from our church and local crisis center and receiving the same toy twice (as it was a generic “boy gift bag”).
As for more in my adult life, the struggles simply carried forward from youth. Without any funds for food my parents barely scraped by when I was a teenager and things like AP exams (advanced placement exams) to obtain college credit i had to miss out on. College tuition I paid for solely. First generation college student out of two generations (to my knowledge, it could be three or four but I did not know my great-grandparents well enough). In college I would eat every other day to save money. My parents sent $50 every two weeks for food. I used to walk to work four miles away, as I didn’t obtain a car until senior year of college through the gracious donation of a friend.
Outside of financials, when I was eighteen, one of my best friends unfortunately took his own life at the age of twenty. Going to his viewing and funeral I believe is one of the two things that has shaped me the most. A few years later, when I myself was twenty, I was diagnosed with SVT (supraventricular tachycardia), a heart arrhythmia that caused me to pass out and faint often. When I was originally enrolled in UT-Arlington for college, I had to move schools to be near my cardiologist in Tyler, Texas. I then enrolled in UT-Tyler, unfortunately, losing my full ride. While in the storm, financially, the passing of my friend, health concerns of my own, it is hard to see any way out. I hate to admit that I at one point attempted to take my own life from the mounting pressure of it all. It is only God that I was not successful.
From it all I have found faith, found myself, found my beautiful wife, and am able to give back to all those who gave to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am an attorney at Ryan Law PLLC. Ryan Law is a full service law firm specializing in tax litigation. The law is broken down into two categories, criminal and civil. Think, Suits vs. Law & Order SVU. Suits depicts a civil law firm and SVU depicts a criminal prosecution. Only the government prosecutes, a private firm cannot. Civil is a large umbrella, it means anything other than criminal law. Under civil law you have lawyers who are either litigators, consultants, or transactional. Litigators file lawsuits, argue in court, and are the ones you see on TV giving press conferences. Consultants are those that give advice, think an agent for an artist, an in-house lawyer for Amazon making sure it complies with federal regulations and work conditions, etc. Then Transaction lawyers create things, either business entities, mergers, stock exchanges, etc. (think when Disney bought Marvel, the lawyers that negotiated those contracts are transactional, as they are overseeing a transaction).
Consultants tell you if an idea is legal and a good or bad one, transactional attorneys help you create the idea or relationship, and then litigators will see you in court if the idea or relationship goes sour.
Attorneys at Ryan Law, like myself, are litigators. We file lawsuits against the government regarding taxes. To be specific, when a house, business, property, land, or other object/entity subject to ad valorem taxes (taxes applied by the county for property taxes) the county has to appraise the value of said item or property. You are allowed to protest the value if you believe that the county overvalued your property (which happens in a lot of cases) and if the county believes they did nothing wrong (9 times out of 10) then you have the right under the Texas property code to sue the county and attempt to have your tax burden reduced.
It can be profitable for businesses to argue their taxes as you can possibly reduce your taxes and obtain a tax refund. Of course, this is not guaranteed, but Ryan Law has filed thousands of lawsuits regarding property taxes.
We handle very well known Fortune 500 businesses and their property tax disputes all over Texas. We also represent small “mom-and-pop-shops” as well as normal consumers and homeowners.
However, as most all attorneys will say “it depends” because every situation is unique and different, so if you perhaps believe your property was overvalued by the county or that your taxes are extremely high compared to the prior year, give us a call.
Our firm is well known in the military and first responder communities as most of our staff has backgrounds in either one and the firm contributes, donates, and sponsors events for both areas.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am the first lawyer in my entire family, including all extended. I have written fictional novels but have not attempted to publish any at this time.
Pricing:
- The firm charges a flat fee or hourly fee but it varies on the case. If interested just give us a call.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Michael Mulvey
