Finding True North

Former military lawyer embraces community practice

For most, the next step after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam is to join an established law firm. That’s not the script Josh Traeger followed. He instead entered the United States Air Force and for a decade served as a military prosecutor.

Traeger believes that military experience has stood him in good stead as a civilian attorney in a number of ways. “With a military background, [you] keep others in mind. I’m also very action-oriented,” he says.

He says the goal in military service is to find a way to get the commander to say yes. That’s exactly what he tries to do now at True North Legal Group in Traverse City. “We help our clients get to yes, despite issues, barriers—it’s very military-esque,” he says.

From Criminals to Community

Traeger describes his legal practice as community-centered. On his website, he says it is about delivering “world-class legal advocacy to the people of Northern Michigan and to help this community grow and develop.” Asked to explain the terminology, he says it means assisting those who might not have many resources or supporting organizations that serve others.

That includes helping small businesses launch and grow and working with nonprofits that aim to make a difference. In practice, that could mean helping firms with trademark and intellectual property challenges or assisting nonprofits with ways to legally raise funding.

Traeger admits that focusing on a role assisting veterans, small businesses, nonprofits, and others wasn’t his original intent. “Full-time criminal work made sense with my prior career,” he says. Then he realized two things. First, there wasn’t that much major crime in the area. “That’s a good thing,” he emphasizes.

Second was the fact that he wanted to serve the area in which he lives, but in ways he felt were more positive than in criminal law. “That was not how I wanted to show up for our community.”

Finding Home

Traeger’s military role required a great deal of travel, as he was jetting around the world, from Korea, Guam, and Japan to Germany, England, Italy, and 27 American states. That kept him away from his family for more than 200 days per year. After 10 years of service, he felt he had lost any feeling of community and belonging and decided a change was necessary.

That change came about in ways he never expected. “We thought we’d travel,” he says. But soon after leaving the service on Dec. 31, 2019, the world shut down, scuttling those plans. The family wasn’t enamored with the sprawl taking over their then-home in Colorado, but really enjoyed the outdoors activities there.

While visiting downstate—his wife, Maggie, is originally from Battle Creek—they took a day trip to Traverse City. It reminded them in large part of what had originally attracted them to Colorado, and they fell in love with the city and the area.

“We walked around and thought this would be an amazing place to be,” Traeger says. So much so they contacted a realtor while in town, and put in an offer on a house, before even putting the home they were living in downstate up for sale.

A big change from Traeger’s days in the military is that he is able to make time for himself and his family. “Nearly every day had obligations,” he says of his time in the Air Force. “I value my time. I’m an early riser, around 4:30 or 5am. I can get some work done in the quiet morning hours … before my kids get up.”

Sometimes that early morning includes walks with his friend Keelan McNulty, who also is retired from the military. “We’ve been going on walks at five in the morning,” McNulty says, describing the time together as an opportunity to connect with one another and reflect.

Stronger Connections

The word community comes up often in conversation with Traeger, and occupies a prominent space throughout his website. On the True North Legal website, Traeger says “Arriving in Traverse City, Josh quickly found community.” His friend McNulty might argue with that, positing that Traeger created community.

“When he moved to town, he immediately made his mark within a couple months,” says McNulty. “He brought a bunch of dads and professionals together for a first Friday lunch. It’s such a valuable huddle.”

McNulty says the group meets at a different location each month, and Traeger introduces people and leads conversations with thoughtful questions. “You better yourself. It makes us better individuals.”

As part of his dedication to building community—there’s that word again—Traeger eschews civil litigation. “Litigation can be destructive,” he says. Typically such cases have a winner and a loser. Instead, he looks for ways in which he can help build, rather than tear down. “We want to be constructive. We want to be an organization that helps [clients] get stronger.”

Traeger says that mindset stemmed from engaging with locals about what kinds of services were needed in the area. “The conversations I engaged the most with were almost always about business or nonprofit leadership. That lit me up,” he says.

Breaking Down Barriers

Traeger is assisted by Heather Kunsman, his legal operations coordinator for True North Legal.

Like Traeger, she boasts extensive military experience, including 22 years as an Air Force paralegal. Both were awarded multiple military awards. Traeger received numerous Meritorious Service Medals for his dedication to justice and the rule of law, while Kunsman earned commendations including the Meritorious Service Medal (with two bronze stars), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and other awards.

In addition to TrueNorth Legal Group, Traeger also heads The Military Defense Firm, geared toward assisting those in the military with legal challenges. He assists veterans with disability benefits and handling claims of post-traumatic stress disorder. He also works as an attorney with the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission. It’s all part of his need to give back, an attitude shared by his wife, Maggie. She is a nurse practitioner, currently working with the state overseeing school-based wellness programs.

Traeger says assisting those in the community includes everything from working in court to directing callers to where they would be best served. “There’s a mystique around the legal profession,” he says. People in need of legal assistance are often nervous or frightful about reaching out. “I help people see the path rather than all the things in their way.”

He tells of a recent call from an elderly woman who needed some advice. “We were her first call. She was scared to make the call. It felt good to me that she could call us. She’s not going to be a client of ours, but to spend a few minutes to answer her questions [means] we’re approachable. A barrier that existed for her … doesn’t exist anymore.”

Learn more at truenorthlegalgroup.com.

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