Rank Law Firm advocates for people (and fish!)

Before Jeff Rank started his law firm in Corpus Christi, he was enthralled by the deep blue sea. Rank holds a bachelor’s degree in marine sciences and a master’s in oceanography from Texas A&M University. There was a point in his life when he could tell you the exact ups and downs of the Indian Ocean. Now, he fights for his clients’ rights as a civil litigator in local courts. 
“I came to a fork in the road,” said Rank on his career switch from marine biology to law. “I was either going to get a Ph.D. in physics or go to law school. I got to a point in my life where I decided I wanted to make a difference.”
Rank’s attorney father ran a small practice in Corpus Christi for more than 30 years. Rank saw the way his father was helping people in their lives and with their struggles. He decided he wanted to step in as an advocate for average citizens who have hit a rough patch or want to avoid hitting one in the future.
“Law is fundamentally important to the functions of our lives — the glue that holds our society together,” he said. “In terms of giving back to society, I decided to contribute to the practice of law.” 
Rank obtained his J.D. from the University of Houston in 2008. After graduation, he worked at a large-scale law firm in the big city. Ultimately, big firm life didn't appeal to him. Rank decided to come back to his home town of Corpus Christi to hang out his shingle.
His cases included multimillion-dollar bankruptcies, child abandonment, civil rights and lottery contracts. Rank has dealt with a mixed bag of legal cases since starting his career as a general practitioner.  
“What I find interesting is variety,” he said. “In a small-town law firm, you never know what’s going to walk in the door.”
Rank stressed that he wants to be seen as an honest, fair and zealous advocate for his clients. 
“Another part of our job is to pull our clients aside if they have unrealistic expectations,” he said. “The lawyer should take the client’s interest above all interests. It doesn’t make sense to spend $5,000 in attorney fees over a $4,000 problem.”
Rank chose Corpus Christi because it’s where he grew up and it’s where he wanted to raise his family. As his kids approached school age, he wanted to be in the Flour Bluff school district, where he attended classes from kindergarten through his high school graduation. 
“I can still remember my first day getting on the school bus,” he said. “It was a surreal feeling putting my oldest on the school bus for her first day. And now I’m running for school board.”
What Rank loves about Corpus Christi is that his clients come from the community around him — he lives where his clients live. He gets to see the difference he makes in people’s lives up close and personal. Above all, though, he enjoys the Corpus Christi lifestyle. 
“It’s not all about career and profit in Corpus Christi,” he said. “It’s about balance and family. Pursuits outside of your career are important.” 
He compared practicing law to what he called the cut-throat business culture in Houston. 
“If I ask an attorney on a case in Houston for a professional courtesy, they’re gonna tell me to go pound salt,” he said. “In Corpus Christi, if I want to move a hearing to go to my daughter’s ballet recital, they’ll say ‘yes’ and, later on, ask me how it went."

Rank Law Firm is located at 9934 South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi. Visit ranklawfirm.com or call (361) 937-7265 for more information.