My father was a lawyer. He practiced personal injury law in Birmingham for over 50 years. He had a good practice, a solid reputation and many friends both inside and outside of the profession. In short, he was great at what he did. When I was younger, I wasn’t sure I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
I remember late night calls coming into the house from clients. I remember long hours that he’d spend at the office, at court, or at a client’s house. I remember thinking that maybe I should be doing something else with my life – maybe I wasn’t cut out for the law.
I did end up going to law school, though. I ended up coming back home to Birmingham, and for a few years, I practiced corporate law at a larger firm in town.
One day my dad called and said that he had a big case and he’d like me to be a part of it. At first, I thought I would be helping him out. As it turns out, he was helping me. Working with him on that case and as his partner for the next 10 years, I learned about clients, myself and more about the law.
Why do I practice personal injury law? In one recent case, I fought an unlawful foreclosure and helped keep a client in their family home. In another case, I settled a medical malpractice case for a child. Making sure that young person will now be able to go to college, debt-free.
Doing good for people. Fighting for the right thing. Relationships that last long after the case is closed. Those are the lessons I learned from my father. Those are the principles I try to practice, every day.