In the latest Readers Respond, we asked attorneys and legal professionals to share what inspired them to pursue a career in the law.
My mother was an attorney and she, from a young age, shaped my belief in becoming a lawyer.
Charles Ali Sanders
Attorney at Charles Sanders LLC
My father was a home builder. In the summers I would ride around with Dad as he made his many calls. I would go with him to his lawyer's office often to see about title work and property liens. I liked Dad's lawyer. He always had the answer. When I was in the 7th grade, Dad got sued for defective construction. Lawyer Joe defended successfully. I watched the trial. I was hooked from that point on.
Leighton Rockafellow
Attorney at Rockafellow Law Firm
I first became interested in the law in middle school, I was just fascinated by it. I did my eighth grade career day on being a Supreme Court justice. The idea of studying law stayed with me all through high school. Maybe the show "L.A. Law" had some influence then, too!
Growing up I was always fascinated with seeing lawyers in court arguing cases before a jury. That seemed amazing and fun to me. I also grew up around sports, with my dad being a former professional baseball player, so I’ve always been a competitive person. I liked the idea of arguing a case to a jury and winning a verdict for my client.
My father was a real estate transactional attorney. Although he passed away before I went to law school, I grew up watching him enjoy the practice of law and having the ability to help his clients and the community. After trying different fields during and after college, I realized that the practice of law would offer me a career that was intellectually stimulating and intense, while also giving me the opportunity to shape the community around me. The development of real estate creates our communities and shapes the way we live our lives.
From a young age my mother and I would watch lawyer/courtroom shows which created a passion in me for the law. I loved the attorneys in the courtroom figuring out “who dun it.” From a young age I knew I wanted to be a lawyer and began doing mock trials and teen court in high school. Growing up, my mother and I would often get into discussions which usually ended with her saying, “You should be a lawyer.” As they say, mother knows best.
My family will say that I was always destined to be an attorney, but it didn’t really click for me until I began participating in debate clubs and mock trial.
