I never wanted to be a lawyer. Ever. And yet, I’m about to begin my first year of law school. How did that happen? Well…
The importance of education, and of finding work you are passionate about, was always impressed upon me as I was growing up. With that in mind, I received my degree at FSU in history and religious studies. Despite graduating at the top of my class at FSU, I soon realized that my prospects for a well-paying, and stable, job in my field were slim; my majors aren’t really in high demand.
In 2014, not long after graduation, I was offered an entry level position doing data entry and janitorial work here at Fasig and Brooks. I was disappointed that I wasn’t working in my chosen field, but I was also taught to work hard, no matter what. I put aside my disappointment and began ordering medical records and scanning documents.
Entrusted with more and more responsibilities, I began to garner an immense fascination with the law. I developed a sincere passion for helping folks get the justice they deserve. Despite my fears that my undergraduate experience was a hugely wasted investment, I came to understand how the critical thinking, writing, and research skills I had developed would go towards helping to bring justice to our clients. By this time, I was a paralegal at Fasig & Brooks, and I decided to pursue my newfound interests and apply for law school.
Preparing for law school has been daunting. There are multiple essays, applications, and a 4 hour long test to determine if you are even eligible to begin school. There are hundreds of books that claim to know the secret to succeeding in law school. So far, my most cherished book was given to me by my supervising attorney, Anthony Fusco, entitled “Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams” by Richard Fischi and Jeremy Paul. I highly recommend it for anyone preparing for or currently enrolled in law school.
Once in law school, I’ll be bombarded by massive amounts of dense materials to read. According to all the alumni I’ve spoken to, the best way to handle this immense load is to treat it like a job; work 8am to 6pm, Monday thru Friday, and give yourself time on the weekends to destress. We’ll see if that actually works out.
Law school begins for me in one week, and I have a long road ahead of me before I can begin practicing law. None of this would have become a reality if it wasn’t for the people at Fasig & Brooks, and the clients we serve. I’ve worked with every single attorney here at the firm, and there is no other firm I would rather have helping me if I was injured. There’s no other firm for which I’d rather work.
You hear a lot of negative talk in popular culture and the news about personal injury lawyers, but I’ve never met a more honest and dedicated group of people than the lawyers and staff here at Fasig & Brooks. You also hear a lot of talk about the type of people that file personal injury claims; that they’re liars and cheats, and that they block our courts with ‘frivolous lawsuits’. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The clients I have worked for are regular people, who would never have dreamed of filing a lawsuit, but who are forced to do so by unreasonable insurance companies. These folks just want their lives back.
These are the types of people for whom I plan to be fighting for when I complete my journey through law school. I can hardly wait.
