ANDERSON, Ind. — Growing up in a middle class neighborhood in Anderson, Indiana in the 1950s, Stephen Hofer had his family believing early on that he would eventually become a lawyer.

“I was a talky little kid,” Hofer said. “I had teachers that always thought I would make a good lawyer, relatives who said I would make a good lawyer.”

His family members must have been on to something, because more than 60 years later Hofer is considered an “aviation attorney to the stars,” having represented dozens of celebrities as they purchase, lease or fly aircraft. He’s also been selected as one of Southern California’s “Super Lawyers” every year since 2009.

One of his most recent cases is also his most famous: Hofer represented “Star Wars” actor and longtime pilot Harrison Ford after he inadvertently landed his Aviat Husky on a taxiway at an Orange County, Calif., airport as an American Airlines jet was preparing for takeoff. Ford did not face any disciplinary actions resulting from the case.

But despite what his family thought, it wasn’t the law that was Hofer’s first calling. He began early in life as a journalist, publishing a small paper called the Park Road Spy for his neighbors beginning in fifth grade. He was a graduate of Madison Heights High School and Indiana University before working as a sports reporter for the Anderson Herald and later, the Miami Herald.

When working in Miami in the 1970s, Hofer met a co-worker who had graduated from law school, which prompted him to jump ship and pursue a law degree. He graduated from Northwestern University Law School in 1980, and moved to Los Angeles to work for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, which was the fifth-largest law firm in the world at the time.

He later worked for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and as an attorney for American Golf Corporation, where he oversaw the acquisition of more than 200 golf courses and country clubs.

But it was a random gift that sent Hofer into the world of aviation.

Hofer had purchased a set of high-quality golf balls for David Price, his former boss at the Olympic committee. But when Hofer gave them to Price, he didn’t really seem to appreciate them.

“He had a secretary who saw the exchange and she said, ‘I know you were probably disappointed by that. What you don’t know is that David hates golf; he is a former Navy pilot, his passion is flying World War II warbirds. You need to get into aviation,’” Hofer said. “And that’s how I got in practicing in this field now for 25 years.”

Hofer founded Aerlex, a law firm focused on aviation law that now has 10 lawyers and 24 employees.

Though he didn’t initially intend to work for the rich and famous, a chance job for Arnold Schwarzenegger turned into several more jobs after Schwarzenegger told his Hollywood friends about Hofer.

“First of all, you have to understand it’s a relatively small community of people who can afford private aircraft,” Hofer told the Anderson, Indiana Herald Bulletin.

Since he founded his firm 25 years ago Hofer, 66, has worked with recording artists Bono and Sammy Hagar, actor/comedian Steve Martin and actors including Cameron Diaz and Clint Eastwood. He also worked with then-private citizen Donald Trump to purchase the 757-200 jet that was nicknamed Trump Force One during the campaign.

“When you first work with celebrities it’s pretty exhilarating,” Hofer said. “These are obviously names you have read and heard about but you quickly realized they have legal needs like everyone else.”

He found his Andy Warhol “15 minutes of fame” was in winning the case for Ford, helping him to avoid fines or disciplinary actions.

Through it all, Hofer said it’s hard work and good manners that’s helped him move from the small house “in the middle of nowhere” in Anderson to running his own law firm in Los Angeles.

“You need to learn diplomacy at a young age, need to learn tact, respect; but if you can figure out how to be a bit brash and cocky, and yet respectful and diplomatic and tactful there is an avenue to move to success,” Hofer said. “You need to set hard goals and hard deadlines, if you intend to do something in six months, then you have to ask yourself every single day: what have I done to achieve that goal?”

Stephens writes for the Anderson, Indiana Herald Bulletin.