The Question Posed

The question was posed to me. What are some of the greatest lessons I have learned in practicing law. Wow what a question. I have learned a number of lessons in this profession. I began practicing in 1973. As you can see, it has been a long time. Of course, the law takes you into the third branch of our government essentially, the Judiciary, because I practice before courts that make decisions. So, it is an important profession and I took it seriously.

Humility

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from practicing law is humility. I learned that lesson as did the trial Lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, from the losses I have experienced in the practice of law before juries and in the court room. I am please to say that the wins far outnumber the losses. However, losses do come. When they do, I found that self-reflection and not to blame someone else, whether it a jury or judge, is very important. I ask myself instead how I could better do it myself next time.

Balance

The next lesson I learned very quickly, stems from the old saying that the law is a jealous mistress. That saying really tells you what it takes to be a trial lawyer. Time away from family, time away from pleasurable things, to be dedicated, and have a passion from representing our clients. Balance has been a struggle for me and it has been one of the lessons I learned from practicing law. We do need that balance. Unfortunately, I have seen to many friends or heard of other lawyers turn to substance abuse in hopes to deal with that balance. Try to keep a semblance of balance. Time for your family, time for fun, time for charities, and giving back to our communities.

It is Everywhere

Another lesson is how law factors in and is such a large part of life. We go into a business and buy something. They put a contract in front of us and we sign it. Often, even I do not read it even as a lawyer. My point is contracts are a big part of our lives. The criminal system is a big part of our lives. We must obey laws and the rules even when we drive. Some crimes are profoundly serious and others not as so. It is an integral part of our lives, the law. Even in my specialty of Personal Injury/Wrongful Death Litigation, I often deal with other aspects of the law. Somebody may be going through a divorce that I am representing, or others may have gotten a ticket. I deal with those things and pay attention to those clients.

Listening

The overall take away and most important lesson I have learned is to pay attention to what others have to say. When a client walks in, I want to listen to the client. I set aside plenty of time so that the client can tell me his or her story and I do not jump in all the time and interrupt even though I may have an idea on what is coming next. I have learned the great lesson of listening in my practice of law. Abraham Lincoln said that one of greatest services lawyers can give to society is to be a peace maker. I try to do that as well. It is an important of what we do as lawyers. It does not always work and that circles back to the first lesson I talked about: Humility. We must do our best and have a passion for what we do but also realize we never always get what we want. We just must keep trying. Thank you.