In an ever-tightening job market, a career in law is sure to become increasingly popular. As America shifts to a service based economy, the need for lawyers will grow. Being trained in law further opens up diverse opportunities for job seekers. While the majority of students will practice traditional law, this is a great background for an array of fields that benefit from expertise in research and advocacy.
I attended law school three years after completing my undergraduate studies. In that time, I dabbled in a few different jobs and gained experience both inside and outside of the legal world. Deciding against teaching, I enrolled in law school hoping to find my true passion.
Three years later, I received a Juris Doctorate, but was unsure where my career endeavors would take me. Starting with a small law firm, I soon became accustomed to the mundane necessities of practicing law in a small town. In fact, I liked the work because I realized it was breaking me into the field very gently.
However, since the practice of law is unpredictable, I was here led to the most memorable moment of my legal career. Because of the nature of the cases, most of our workload settled out-of-court. While courtroom appearances for hearings became second nature, I did not expect one of my cases to go to trial anytime soon. In fact, I figured by the time one ever did reach trial, I would no longer be employed there to handle it.
I was wrong. After six months at the job, a judge suddenly fast-tracked a civil case for a bench trial. Though I was very familiar with the facts and the persons involved, I was less certain of how to try a case like this.
Law school offered a mock trial class, but that seemed more about principles than practice. My employer was very much a mentor during my time working with him, but he happened to be away from the firm due to involvement in a political campaign.
Before I knew it, I was in court for the trial. In the legal world, it was small potatoes. But for those involved, naturally it was a big deal. There was plaintiff and a defendant. There was a judge, opposing counsel, bailiff, court reporter, and everything else you see on television.
Knowing the particulars of the case, and convinced of its merits, I tried the case on instinct. I did not worry about a lack of perfection and quickly realized that the judge was there precisely to help the attorneys do their job, rather than serve as cruel umpires ready to pounce on any mistake.
In the end, I won my first trial and the plaintiff that I represented was awarded a fair judgment. He was grateful and we concluded the process cordially. Soon I was in my car and on the way back to the grind, when I realized I needed gas. I stopped near the courthouse for fuel.
Only then did a period of reflection truly hit me. I parked and, over a cup of coffee, replayed every glorious aspect of the trial in my head. Allowing myself a bit of pride, I felt an awareness that I had truly accomplished something. I did it! I don’t think such a warm feeling from a professional accomplishments had ever hit me before.
I got far more than gas and coffee during those ten or so minutes. And I will never forget how confident I felt driving home. If only such a moment could be bottled and stored for later use, I’d be unstoppable.
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Jeff Briscoe is an attorney and a freelance writer, who specializes in travel and outdoor recreation. He covers these topics and more for the Fort Myers Examiner and is a regular contributor to the Yahoo! Contributor Network.