For Mike Glisson, the decision to practice law was never only about winning cases. It was about people. The founder of Glisson Law, a personal injury firm in Springfield, Illinois, has spent his career representing people who were hurt through no fault of their own, and he sees that work as an extension of the values he grew up with.
“Being a lawyer is more than what happens inside a courtroom. It’s about being involved in the community and being willing to help wherever you can.”
That belief has shaped how Glisson runs his firm and how he approaches every client who walks through the door.
Where the Work Ethic Started
Glisson was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois. He grew up in a large family, with four older sisters and an older brother, and he learned early what hard work and family loyalty looked like in practice. Those lessons stuck. Today he carries the same principles into raising his own family with his wife Kimberly, a schoolteacher. Together they have three sons and a daughter.
He often points to his upbringing when people ask what drives him. Watching his parents provide for a house full of children taught him that showing up matters, and that responsibility to the people who depend on you is not something you set down when the day gets hard. Those ideas became the foundation of how he practices law.
A Career Built Around Advocacy
Glisson has been practicing law since 1996, when he passed the Illinois bar. He later passed the Missouri bar as well, allowing him to represent clients in both states. Over the years he has litigated and tried a wide range of plaintiffs’ personal injury cases, including wrongful death, auto accidents, trip and falls, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation claims, and insurance disputes.
His courtroom experience reaches beyond trial work. He has argued before the Illinois Appellate Courts and the Federal Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and in 2007 he presented a case before the Illinois Supreme Court. That kind of range gives him a practical understanding of how a case can move through the system, which helps him plan for the long road that serious injury claims often require.
For Glisson, advocacy means standing up for hardworking people who suddenly find themselves facing medical bills, lost income, and an insurance company that would rather pay less. He built his practice around the idea that those clients deserve someone in their corner who takes the fight personally.
How Glisson Law Has Grown
Glisson Law has expanded steadily over the years, but the growth has always followed a purpose rather than a headcount goal. Glisson has talked about keeping the team large enough to handle complex matters while small enough that the firm’s culture stays intact. New people come on when the caseload calls for it, not before.
That measured approach reflects the same discipline he learned growing up. He wants clients to feel that their case matters, and a firm that grows too fast can lose that connection. By keeping the team focused, Glisson aims to give every client real attention from intake through resolution.
The firm’s Springfield roots also matter to him. He and his colleagues have built working relationships with medical providers, accident reconstruction specialists, and other experts across Central Illinois, and those connections often make a difference when a case needs specialized testimony or evaluation.
Giving Back Beyond the Courtroom
The community involvement Glisson describes in his quote is not an abstraction. He has served on boards, mentored young people, and supported local charitable causes over many years. For him, that work is part of the same commitment that brought him to law in the first place: helping where help is needed.
He views his role in the community and his role as an attorney as two sides of the same responsibility. Both come down to showing up for people who need someone willing to stand with them.
Readers who want to learn more about the firm’s work can visit the law firm page for additional information about its practice areas and approach.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.
