Did it help?
Yes, but maybe I'm biased.
Has dance impacted your life as an attorney?
I certainly think it has. I think it gave me confidence. I think a lot of sports do this. When you're on stage, it's really no different than being in front of a judge or jury or someone else. So those skills have translated. My mom likes to tell me my very first oral argument was when I was a kid, and I didn't get into the dance group that I thought was the one that I should be in. I wanted to be in a different one. My parents said, "You know what? That's something that you're going to have to address. We're not going to fight that battle for you so go see the director of the studio, and see if you can make your case." Gosh, I must have been 10 years old, but I did. And it worked. I got into the class that I wanted to and (my mom) still likes to talk about that today.
Did you ever think about going into dance instead of law?
Only for about five minutes (laughs). I certainly like it, but it's just a part of my life. I've always had a huge focus on my education. I've always had the goal of going to law school. I was offered a scholarship to go to New York to a small dance school. But, in the end, I'm a Southern girl who always dreamed of being a lawyer even more than being a dancer. I just thought that was the right path for me.
