PS -- please tear it to shreds!
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 2:49 pm
Please tear it apart! Also, FYI, I have a DS that more to answer the "why I want to be a lawyer" question.
Ambulance Chasers. I still remember the day in fifth grade when one of my classmates first used those words to describe my parents. Initially, I was confused; what was an “ambulance chaser”, and how does it apply to my mom and dad? A few months later, after I had resolved to learn more about my parents’ job, I identified the basis for the insults; mom and dad sue big companies for money when people get injured. As the slurs and smears continued throughout middle school, I finally decided to write down a list questions that I wanted to ask my parents about their work: “Doesn’t all of this ‘ambulance chaser’ criticism bother you? Why don’t you respond to your critics? If the critics are right, why don’t you just get a new job?” Although these questions were often on my mind, I never did muster up the courage to bring them to my parents; looking back, I think I was afraid of what the answers might be. Nonetheless, throughout most of my childhood, my questions about my parents’ law firm went unanswered.
As I made my way through high school, I began to see and understand more of what my parents did. I heard more about their cases, I got to watch them in court, and I even met some of their clients. I saw two lawyers who did not seem like the ambulance chasers that I had heard about. Instead, I saw two lawyers who firmly believe that their practice brings justice to their clients, and I saw how that belief fueled their tireless passion and dedication to each case. In the end, all of the questions that I had as a child were answered through my own observations; I saw that my parents are able to have a fulfilling law career because they believe that what they are doing is right, and nobody else’s opinion can take away their sense of justice.
Although I believe that my parents’ career has given me a valuable perspective of the law, I also realize that their profession imbued me with a one-sided view of the legal field. In college, and especially after of my summer internships at both the Department of Justice and the United States Supreme Court, I saw that the law offers many different paths, most of which I did not fully understand. In order to gain a more balanced perspective before entering law school, I decided to work as a paralegal at (law firm) LLP in the firm’s White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement Group. Soon, I found myself sitting in case meetings surrounded by dozens of attorneys, digging through thousands of documents as part of discovery, and adapting to the pace and long hours that characterize life in a big firm. Along with an understanding of the culture and demands of firm life, I gained an appreciation for the value of the services that we provide to our clients. From the businessman for whom we helped negotiate a favorable plea deal, to the energy corporation that we advised on regulatory compliance, I saw that our firm’s services were not just effective, but often times wholly necessary for our clients’ well-being.
Despite my appreciation for the value of the work that I was doing at (law firm), I did not have the same passion and dedication to the firm’s work that I saw in my parents’ law practice. In search of that enthusiasm, I got involved in the firm’s extensive pro-bono program. I began accompanying attorneys to the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless (WLCH), a free legal clinic that provides local low-income residents with legal services. At WLCH, I manned the client intake table and spoke with dozens of people eager to talk with one of the clinic’s volunteer attorneys. From the elderly woman who had just been evicted from her home without warning, to the large family that was trying to find a suitable place to live, I saw people in search of the most basic human needs waiting sometimes for hours just to speak with an attorney. I was inspired both by the power of the legal system and by the confidence that these people placed in it, and I found myself eager to go back and help others in their struggle for basic rights and needs. Of all of the legal experience and practical knowledge that I have gained at (law firm), I believe that the most valuable piece of information that I learned has been about myself; I found that in order to have a fulfilling legal career, whether it be in politics, government, or private practice, I need to have the opportunity to improve the lives of others by advocating for and protecting their most basic, fundamental rights.
I’ve had a close up view of several different paths that one can take with a legal education. Through it all, I’ve identified a very simple principle that will guide my legal career; I will follow my passion, and as long as I am working to realize my sense of justice – no matter what stands in my way – I will be fulfilled.
Ambulance Chasers. I still remember the day in fifth grade when one of my classmates first used those words to describe my parents. Initially, I was confused; what was an “ambulance chaser”, and how does it apply to my mom and dad? A few months later, after I had resolved to learn more about my parents’ job, I identified the basis for the insults; mom and dad sue big companies for money when people get injured. As the slurs and smears continued throughout middle school, I finally decided to write down a list questions that I wanted to ask my parents about their work: “Doesn’t all of this ‘ambulance chaser’ criticism bother you? Why don’t you respond to your critics? If the critics are right, why don’t you just get a new job?” Although these questions were often on my mind, I never did muster up the courage to bring them to my parents; looking back, I think I was afraid of what the answers might be. Nonetheless, throughout most of my childhood, my questions about my parents’ law firm went unanswered.
As I made my way through high school, I began to see and understand more of what my parents did. I heard more about their cases, I got to watch them in court, and I even met some of their clients. I saw two lawyers who did not seem like the ambulance chasers that I had heard about. Instead, I saw two lawyers who firmly believe that their practice brings justice to their clients, and I saw how that belief fueled their tireless passion and dedication to each case. In the end, all of the questions that I had as a child were answered through my own observations; I saw that my parents are able to have a fulfilling law career because they believe that what they are doing is right, and nobody else’s opinion can take away their sense of justice.
Although I believe that my parents’ career has given me a valuable perspective of the law, I also realize that their profession imbued me with a one-sided view of the legal field. In college, and especially after of my summer internships at both the Department of Justice and the United States Supreme Court, I saw that the law offers many different paths, most of which I did not fully understand. In order to gain a more balanced perspective before entering law school, I decided to work as a paralegal at (law firm) LLP in the firm’s White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement Group. Soon, I found myself sitting in case meetings surrounded by dozens of attorneys, digging through thousands of documents as part of discovery, and adapting to the pace and long hours that characterize life in a big firm. Along with an understanding of the culture and demands of firm life, I gained an appreciation for the value of the services that we provide to our clients. From the businessman for whom we helped negotiate a favorable plea deal, to the energy corporation that we advised on regulatory compliance, I saw that our firm’s services were not just effective, but often times wholly necessary for our clients’ well-being.
Despite my appreciation for the value of the work that I was doing at (law firm), I did not have the same passion and dedication to the firm’s work that I saw in my parents’ law practice. In search of that enthusiasm, I got involved in the firm’s extensive pro-bono program. I began accompanying attorneys to the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless (WLCH), a free legal clinic that provides local low-income residents with legal services. At WLCH, I manned the client intake table and spoke with dozens of people eager to talk with one of the clinic’s volunteer attorneys. From the elderly woman who had just been evicted from her home without warning, to the large family that was trying to find a suitable place to live, I saw people in search of the most basic human needs waiting sometimes for hours just to speak with an attorney. I was inspired both by the power of the legal system and by the confidence that these people placed in it, and I found myself eager to go back and help others in their struggle for basic rights and needs. Of all of the legal experience and practical knowledge that I have gained at (law firm), I believe that the most valuable piece of information that I learned has been about myself; I found that in order to have a fulfilling legal career, whether it be in politics, government, or private practice, I need to have the opportunity to improve the lives of others by advocating for and protecting their most basic, fundamental rights.
I’ve had a close up view of several different paths that one can take with a legal education. Through it all, I’ve identified a very simple principle that will guide my legal career; I will follow my passion, and as long as I am working to realize my sense of justice – no matter what stands in my way – I will be fulfilled.