Published February 12th, 2009
By Mike Beas
When one’s surname holds the ability to kick-start visions of dollar bills and other forms of currency, that person is ripe for the good-natured ribbing of friends and first-time acquaintances alike.
Few understand this better than Greenwood attorney Lee Money, a Whiteland native who as far back as middle school recognized his career path and then did everything in his power to make sure those dreams someday blossomed into reality.
“I always wanted to be a lawyer. It seemed like a worthy aspiration knowing things to help people solve problems or answer their questions. That’s what brings me to work every morning. Helping people draws me to the work,” said Money, 53, a 1974 Whiteland High School graduate. “Being a lawyer is much harder work than people who don’t practice law understand. They think we sit behind a desk and pontificate about the law and then argue for them in court.
“What they don’t see,” he continued, “is the research, the struggle attorneys go through to find the solution or the path to a solution for their clients in an adversarial environment.”
The second of four sons born to Clarence and Violet Money, Lee early on displayed a willingness to roll up his sleeves and sweat for the education so vital to his future. Some of the jobs Money took on between the ages of 18 to 22 were as a janitor at Sears, an usher at the Greenwood Cinema, a waiter and an employee at a machine shop. He’s also framed houses, bailed hay. The list goes on.
“Lee got his work ethic from his father,” said Violet, who, with Clarence, continues to reside in Whiteland. “My husband was in the printing trade and the boys loved that because when they went to school they would say their father was a stripper. Then they would have to explain he was in the printing business.”
Those were the days when Money went by his given first name of Randy. Money claims he was at the midpoint of law school years later when, seeking a more professional air to his name, he promoted his middle name of Lee to become his primary name. Even so, Money is still commonly referred to as R. Lee Money.
A more recent change – this one involving office location – took place Dec. 12, as Money, who for 18 years called 211 S. Madison Ave. in downtown Greenwood his law-practicing home, moved a two-minute walk northwest to 310 W. Main Street. While the fresh interior scenery has taken some time to get used to, Money points out the new digs offers up 2,000 square feet on the ground floor alone.
Money has been married to his wife, Cindy, for 30 years. The couple have two children, Hillary, 23, a recent Purdue University graduate employed by Blast Media in Fishers; and Adam, 20, a sophomore at Yale who is majoring in pre-med and is a member of the Bulldogs football program as a defensive back.
The drive from central Indiana to the Yale campus, located in New Haven, Conn., is a shade under 13 hours one way, said Lee, who should know, considering he attended all 10 Bulldogs games this season. The eye-rubbing hours were worth it; Adam completed the 2008 campaign with two interceptions – including a 60-yarder for a score against Georgetown in the season-opener — and as Yale’s ninth-leading tackler with 30.
[ad#single-post]Clearly, family is important to Money. So, too, is his bond with Jesus Christ, which, like any enduring relationship, has come with its share of peaks and valleys. The Lord plays a pivotal and empowering role in Money’s personal and business lives, yet he doesn’t outwardly bring it to the office with him each and every morning.
“People don’t come to my office for spiritual advice, they come here because of their secular problems,” said Money. “I am a Christian who is an attorney. It is my goal for my conduct to reflect Christ in how I approach my job. I don’t always achieve that goal, but I strive for it.”
And history informs us that when Money sets a goal, he usually reaches it.
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