Hi! I’m a practicing attorney in the United States. Currently, I’m a trial attorney and in court most days of the week.
I graduated law school in May of 2019, was sworn in to the Bar of the Court in the Fall of 2019, and here I am today in 2023! Still licensed, still practicing, but on my second area of law.
Throughout law school I thought I was going to graduate and practice either criminal defense or prosecution in the city where I was studying. Unfortunately, plans changed due to circumstances beyond my control, and I accepted a position as an Associate Attorney at a law firm I had clerked at, outside of the city.
I was practicing complex civil defense litigation in both State and Federal Courts, at the trial and appellate level. I wound up hating it, sticking it out through COVID, and in the winter of 2021-2022, I started applying elsewhere. I was never in the courtroom – everything settled, it was all depositions all the time, and then decisions were made on the briefs.
In early 2022, I accepted a position as a prosecutor (and no, not in the city – in a part of my home state I didn’t think I’d land in). I was in court more days than not, and it could be chaotic. Every day was different, I got to help people through pivotal moments in their lives, I got paid a lot less, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! I was able to find my way to my dream job, and even on the bad days I’m glad that I got to do what I did.
Cue mid 2024: I made the jump back to civil litigation! Full update coming soon.
I started “The Young Attorney” because I’ve also spent a lot of time mentoring other lawyers. At law school, I was a mentor, a teaching assistant for criminal and constitutional law, and Executive Articles Editor of the Law Review, managing editing teams. I supervised and mentored summer law clerks at my law firm, and I supervised the interns as a prosecutor.
Many attorneys-at-law have a tough first few years in practice – second guessing their practice area, their abilities, and generally not knowing about easy ways to make their practice more efficient and effective. It takes a lot of practice and a willingness to keep getting back up every time you get knocked down to develop the confidence that the renowned lawyers we all admire seem to have.
However, even seasoned attorneys find themselves practicing in an area of law they haven’t touched in years; or dealing with issues they never thought they would face. Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to have another set of eyes, or thoughts, so see if something strikes a note and gets the legal waters flowing.
Whether you are a law student planning ahead, waiting for bar results, freshly licensed, a few years into practice, or a seasoned professional – I’m creating this space for dialogue, information, and advice, so that being an attorney doesn’t have to be scary & lonely ! There are easy techniques, strategies, and approaches that can make the uncertainties more certain.
So – welcome! I hope that The Advocate’s Edge is able to help you survive being a lawyer for years to come!
The Advocate’s Edge 