The Qualities Necessary to Becoming a Great Attorney
When Cheryl first told me that she was going to be an attorney, we were in fifth grade, sitting on the swings on the playground at our school in Phoenix. Lawyers, she said, help people. The make certain that people get treated fairly. Those were the words of a ten year old girl. Twelve years later, we were roommates while she worked her way through law school, with the end result of being number one in her graduating class from Arizona State University. The decision to go to law school is one that takes a lot of consideration.
The road to becoming a practicing lawyer is one that requires commitment and dedication. I myself have witnessed this in my friend over the many years from the weeks leading up to the LSAT, to school, to the Bar Exam, to her position at one of the top commercial litigation firms in Phoenix. She enjoys the pressure of deadlines and pushing of the limits of her intellectual sensibilities. Having an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, she continues a have good spirited debates that are necessary when practicing law. Good spirited yes, but that does not mean that doesn’t want to win.
She enjoys doing research, so much so that when one of her loved ones became ill, she learned all there was to know about the disease and the medical procedures, to the extent that the doctors suggested that she go to medical school. She smiled, but told them that she was an attorney. It was all she ever wanted to be. However, she did switch firms.
She now works with companies that do medical research, and finds that it is extremely rewarding. She took a huge chance, on herself. Through seven years of uninterrupted study at the university, and many years working eighty hours a week, she has succeeded as no other person I have ever known. This is the kind of passion and dedication that not only makes an attorney, but a truly great attorney.