FROM THE BOARD
This issue's theme of The Atlanta Lawyer is Expectation vs Reality.
Ask the Board
Describe an expectation you had, a reality you discovered, or a lesson you experienced
in your career.
Christina Baugh
Louis Cohan
Kevin Patrick
Barnes & Thornburg, LLP Cohan Law Group Kevin Patrick Law
There
was
one
particular
expectation I experiencd early on
in my career. I failed to appreciate
the extent to which the ability
to work/be accessed remotely
would be both a blessing and a
curse. I
was
attending
my
first contingency case mediation,
as a sole practitioner, and
anticipated a settlement in the
high 6 figures, which meant a
high fee – and no obligation to
share with partners. I realized I
did
not
feel
completely
objective, given my personal
stake in the outcome. I asked a
friend/mentor to attend with me,
to let me know if he thought I was
pushing too hard or not enough
and paid for his help. There
was no additional cost to the
clients.
Sometimes
you
just
know you need an outside
opinion to confirm you are on
the right path or to steer you
back to it. Those feelings spring
from your same judgment that
you have trusted all along.
There is no shame in asking for
help when you need it. After law school, I began a
clerkship in the Northern Judicial
Circuit under Chief Judge John
H. Bailey, Jr. Judge Bailey was
(and still is) a remarkable person.
His advice, coupled with a sense
of humor, still resonates with me.
With a smile, Judge Bailey would
oftentimes
remark,
“Despite
how small the pancake, there’s
always two sides.” Judge Bailey
taught me the importance of
being mindful of and listening
to all perspectives in a case.
Each and every person in our
system of justice truly deserves an
opportunity to be heard in court.
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