At the onset of their careers, young attorneys have many options ahead of them: the area of law in which they wish to specialize; the jurisdiction in which they choose to practice; the size of the firm they plan to join. They could negotiate contracts or give a closing argument, pick a large firm or a small firm, decide to be in-house or corporate counsel—the options are endless. The insightful lawyer choses a career based upon what he or she enjoys doing and with whom he or she wants to be. On a daily basis, those decisions make life enjoyable. When something goes horribly wrong, those decisions make life survivable. I know this to be true all too well. This is my story.
Raymond was my “mini-me.” While in kindergarten, his school had a dress-up day with the theme: What do you want to be when you grow up? The other kids were dressed as princesses, firemen, athletes and other idolized professions. On that day, Raymond put on a suit and tie, walked confidently into class with his briefcase and, while handing his teacher a business card, announced he was there to represent her.
