When my parents dropped me off at Emory University School of Law, I remember telling my father I worried about holding my own in this new endeavor. My father said, “Lawyers aren’t any smarter than the rest of us.” It reminded me of another of his sayings: “They put their pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us.”

His wisdom gave me courage, and eventually I’ve realized that I can hold my own with fellow attorneys, even though I am rarely the smartest one in the room. One reason I can do this is because I really like lawyers. I’ll tell you why.