Our Interview With Mike Green, Founding Attorney at 801 Injured

Mike is the Founding Attorney at 801 Injured. He brings over ten years of experience managing complex litigation and personal injury cases. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Courts of both Utah and California, the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition to his legal career, Mike has served in the U.S. Army for 22 years across active duty and reserve roles. He currently serves as a reserve Judge Advocate and sits on the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

1. What motivated you to pursue a career in law?

I’ve always been drawn to how communities function—who gets heard, how decisions are made, and how systems can be improved to work better for everyone. Law gave me a way to not just understand the rules, but to help shape outcomes and solve real problems. It wasn’t about control—it was about being useful where the stakes are high.

2. What do you wish you had known about the law school application process before you applied?

That pedigree isn't destiny. Rankings can open doors, but substance, grit, and building the right network matter far more long-term. I spent more time worrying about the 'right school' than the right path through the profession.

3. A lot of students struggle with the law school personal statement. What did your brainstorming, writing, and editing process look like, and what do you think made yours stand out from the crowd?

I focused on authenticity over theatrics. I didn’t invent hardship—I explained how I solved real-world problems and why I kept showing up. My writing process looked more like drafting an opening statement: clear, confident, and driven by purpose. What made it stand out was clarity—I didn’t try to sound like someone I wasn’t.

4. What was the biggest challenge that caught you off guard when you sat down to write the LSAT?

That it wasn't really about the law. The LSAT is a logic stress test. It punishes perfectionists and rewards calm. I had to train my brain to move on—not to litigate every question like it was a deposition.

5. How much work experience did you gain before applying to law school? What opportunities did you pursue, and what helped you the most during the application process?

I had a solid base in policy and government by the time I applied—internships, campaigns, and committee work. Real-world engagement with legislation and bureaucracy gave me something to talk about in my applications and helped me later in administrative and constitutional law courses.

6. Did you have any setbacks or rejections during the law school admissions process, and what did you learn from those experiences?

Yes—and I learned that a rejection letter is just proof that someone read your story. It taught me to detach ego from outcome. The process is noisy, subjective, and occasionally arbitrary. The mission stays the same.

7. What led you to specialize in your area of law? What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue it? What activities/events/opportunities would you recommend for students wanting to pursue your specialty?

I followed the energy—literally and figuratively. I had an early opportunity to work on infrastructure and government finance issues and realized that power (in both senses) was at the heart of every major legal fight. My advice: chase complexity. Energy, land use, and constitutional law aren’t clean, but they’re consequential. Get into city council meetings, legislative drafting, or commission work. That’s where the real stuff happens.

8. What are some emerging fields of law that you would recommend potential students to start thinking about if they want to future-proof themselves in the industry?

Energy transition law, AI accountability, digital sovereignty, and water rights—especially in the West. Also, military-to-commercial crossover legal issues (dual-use tech, ESG compliance for defense contractors, etc.) are a sleeping giant.

9. What are the biggest sacrifices you’ve had to make to pursue a career in law?

Time. And the illusion of certainty. This career gives you authority, but often at the cost of simplicity. You trade tidy narratives for ambiguity—in law, in life, and sometimes even in family balance.

10. Bonus question: How much would we have to pay you to take the LSAT again?

Enough to fund a bar review course, two weeks in the mountains with no service, and a really good bottle of bourbon. So… probably more than I spent on law school.

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