Happy Lawyers

I was reading this piece by Ron Fox about rebuilding self-confidence in young attorneys and it really got me thinking about what most people envision when they think of the practice of law. Are there happy lawyers? As I was starting law school my grandfather was suffering from severe dementia and he would ask me if I had gone to court yet, and if I was making a lot of money. We would laugh, and I would say, “Yes Grandpa.” Since he has passed away, I would like to think he was envisioning me advocating for people in a large courtroom, people who would otherwise have no hope. I have never actually litigated a case, but I do believe I help people. When people ask what I do, I tell them I keep the lights on. I am an energy attorney.

While I love the complexity of my energy work and hope to make a career out of it, I can completely relate with Ron’s story of his early years of practice helping the tenants’ association in his hometown of Lynn, Massachusetts and learning about how legal services are distributed in this country. I started doing pro-bono work this year for the Community Economic Development Project in DC. I attend clinics where individuals come in and ask for all sorts of legal advice from patent/trademark questions for new small businesses to land-lord tenant issues. I leave there happy that I can spread the knowledge, but sad that I am the bearer of bad news for some. Inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of those who have very little, but sad at how the lack of financing and health insurance can so easily kill that spirit. Mostly, I am just happy that I can help. I am happy I can give back. I wish that law schools would make more of an effort to give their students that feeling early on because I think this would make those discouraging law school moments more bearable.

Sitting in class, getting brow beaten by the professor, and getting rejected by Biglaw, sometimes I wondered why I was going into the practice of law, or if I was ever actually going to be able to practice law. As I was sitting there helping a new mother and daughter owned cupcake shop figure out what corporate entity would work best for them-I realized why. As I sit at my office everyday looking through settlement agreements and weighing the consequences of the outcome I realize why. Therefore, I am calling on every law school to follow the example of Washington & Lee (Legal Rebels article), who is pushing their third year students out of the classroom and into simulated or real-life situations to deal with clients, judges, and opposing counsel. This kind of training in third year programs can inspire a new generation of lawyers to believe that in a not so uplifting profession you can be a happy lawyer.

Stay tuned for my interview with Ron Fox.