Why I Became a Lawyer

 There are, no doubt, many stories of why individuals choose to become lawyers. From what I can tell, my reason may be unique.

Some people are certainly drawn to the profession by money. Although a legal career can provide a comfortable living, there are better ways to make a lot of money. The celebrity criminal defense and personal injury attorneys are the exception rather than the rule.

Many people begin law school at a time in their lives, after graduating with one or more college degrees, when they don’t know what to do next. The law school curriculum, particularly the first year’s courses, is a great, broad-based education. The study of contracts, criminal law, torts (injury caused by another), constitutional law and civil procedure is really a study of how we relate to each other in our society. Many students find themselves in law school because they don't know what to do next and go on to have great careers.

The most common reason given by law students and attorneys is that they “love the law.” It is true that there is something elegant about a system for resolving disputes and preventing harm that relies on rules rather than force. That, however, is not why I chose to become a lawyer.

Rather than a love for the law, I chose to become a lawyer because I love business. People pooling their talents and their resources to provide goods and services that benefit others have propelled our civilization forward. Certainly, there are abuses, sometimes very public abuses. For the most part, however, business people provide for their employees, their investors and their families as they serve their customers. I truly love helping business people solve problems, prevent legal liabilities and seize opportunities.

There are two things I love most about practicing law. The first is learning about the businesses of my clients. Not only the processes used to deliver the goods and services they provide, but their strategies, plans for the future and history of how they got to where they are today.

The second thing I love is approaching issues from a business prospective rather than a lawyer’s point of view to develop innovative, strategic solutions. The experience of working with a multitude of businesses and researching issues faced by countless others, allows me to help clients succeed.