Finding Passion in Your Practice

by: Elizabeth Whipple, Staff Attorney, AVLF Domestic Violence Project

I don’t meet many lawyers who would ever choose to describe themselves as “passionate about the law.” I know a great many, however, who wish they could.

We all agree that you should do something you love, but finding that elusive something seems to be the trick. Many lawyers, in particular, seem to think they have chosen a career that does not allow for such a passion at all. I have heard countless lamentations from friends and colleagues who wish they were doing a vague something else over the concrete, but unglamorous, practice they have now.
How, exactly, do you set about finding out what kind of law you’re passionate about? Let’s face it – law school teaches you a great deal, but what it really means to practice law is not really covered. Job descriptions cannot really convey what a position actually entails, especially if the applicant has never practiced law. It’s all just words until you are thrust into the reality of a job. If only you could get that reality check before you ever left school… Oh wait. You can.

As a third-year law student, I was fortunate enough to participate in the first class of the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic at the University of Alabama School of Law. Under the auspices of the Third-Year Practice Act and the guidance of a supervising attorney, ten other students and myself represented survivors of domestic violence in divorces and custody cases in seven rural counties of Alabama. I participated in mediation, discovery, settlements, and hearings. I spoke Spanish with Spanish-speaking clients. I was exposed to the roller coaster of judges and courthouse politics in various locales. Before the one-semester commitment near its end, all but one of the eleven students in the clinic had petitioned the dean for permission to re-enroll for a second semester.

A significant part of my job now is supervising law students from Atlanta-area law schools who represent clients in court under the Third-Year Practice Act. Our office relies on these students to represent clients, and their ability to take on and manage cases is truly impressive. These students are practicing law, and few of their law school counterparts can claim similar exposure.

For some students, practical experience during or right after law school confirms a desire to continue doing similar or related work. It is a way to test and redefine what they want to do. I can say with confidence that the hands-on clinic experience clarified my career goals. I had gone to law school with the fuzzy notion of doing something with women and children’s issues, and after two years, I had decided family law would be my focus. But it was not until I began to practice in the clinic that I really learned what the practice of family law entailed. For me, it was a natural fit. As a result, I committed myself to the pursuit of a family law job, with a strong bent towards domestic violence issues.

For some, perhaps the experience more broadly influences their career decisions. Leslie Hinrichs, a recent graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, says, after three months volunteering with the Domestic Violence Project while awaiting bar results, “I am starting to realize the practical benefits of a career in public interest law. Specifically, I'm starting to see that public interest jobs generally provide much more interesting work and a more relaxed, pleasant work environment than working at a law firm.”

For others, a practical experience may sway students in the other direction. One Emory law student had this to say about her experience representing clients seeking Temporary Protective Orders through the Domestic Violence Project at AVLF: “The nature of the work is different than I was expecting, not in a bad way, but in a way that I'm glad I know about now, rather than at my first job. I absolutely want to be a full time public interest lawyer, but I'm realizing through my experiences both with 3rd year practice act work and also with general DV work that individual advocacy may not be for me. “

In any economy, focus, goals, experience and confidence in what you seek to do is a boon. “As a third year law student, I feel like my experience at AVLF will give me a competitive advantage over other students who do not have similar field placement experience. I now know I will be able to competently represent clients in the courtroom, and that confidence will prove to be an enormous asset,” says Catie Fulton, 3rd-year law student at Emory. Catie is not alone.

The bottom line is that there is no substitute for real, practical experience, not just in finding a job, but also in enjoying that job once you have it. Whether that experience comes through a clinic, an externship/field placement, or a volunteer opportunity, direct contact with clients, courts and attorneys, practical experience is invaluable early in a lawyer’s career. I can say from my own experience and the feedback of people I have worked with that such experience can also plant the seed of desire to commit to public interest work, be it full-time or as a dedicated volunteer. And while nothing can guarantee you’ll find that sought-after passion, the insights gained certainly up your chances.