Playing the cards

Our senior paralegal is fond of saying, "We can only play the cards were dealt". It is such an appropriate analogy for not only legal work but every business.

There's not a lot I can do about a doctor who puts in a damning diagnosis or findings against my client. I have little wiggle room with a client who has a recent rash of criminal history that involves dishonesty when it comes to whether a jury is allowed vs not allowed to hear about it.

The dream client in any business arena is rare, so don't waste your time constantly looking for them. I've seen two or three out of several hundred.

Maybe your client filed bankruptcy or has a low credit score if you are a realtor. Perhaps your client failed to file years worth of taxes if you're a CPA.

Don't let your search for the perfect client get in the way of why you chose your career in the first place: to serve people no matter the circumstances. By no means does that mean you serve everyone who knocks. I don't take un-winnable cases as a lawyer for a Plaintiff. But for those people that you can help, go the extra mile and fully play the cards you're dealt.

Building, Not Stumbling Blocks

Today I accompanied one of our senior attorneys to watch him petition the court for something I hadn't done before. While waiting outside the courtroom, I ran into a law student whom I knew from last year. 

It was an incredible flashback experience because this student was so worried about law school, the current curriculum, and getting everything right. More pointedly, this student was worried about their moot court case. For those who have been graciously spared from moot court, you exhaust incredible amounts of time, energy, frustration and angst into a fake case. At the end of the day, you've accomplished nothing more than exhausting oxygen and a forest full of paper. 

Not to belittle her anxiety, but deep down inside I began smiling as she explained how nervous and frustrated she was. After my first year in practice of dealing with real world dollars, real world expectations and disappointments, the law school pains that were once very real to me seemed petty. Those past pupil hurdles, while important in my development in crafting legal skills, paled in comparison to advising a client to accept a real-money six figure settlement at mediation instead of going to trial. Usually in the school environment it's merely your grade (and maybe a modicum of your reputation) that is at stake.

If anything it was a reminder that there are always bigger problems to face and your current problems are not stumbling blocks but rather building blocks for you to accomplish the next obstacle.