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Litigation Journal

Summer 2024

How I Became a Lawyer

Ryan Johnson

Summary

  • Many successful litigators come from large families and certainly blue-collar families. 
  • Family experiences, good and bad, can mold great litigators. 
  • Conflict is inevitable, with families and in litigation. 
How I Became a Lawyer
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I grew up in Mississippi, the rural South, the youngest of seven children. My family was blue-collar. They worked in sawmills, automobile plants, and retail distribution centers. Most of my older siblings are teachers. I didn’t personally know any lawyers growing up, but as I grew older, this wonderful group of working people made me know that I wanted to be a lawyer.

My family is close-knit. We convened once or twice a month for family gatherings. I remember when I was a teenager hearing discussions where the adults would recount the everyday challenges they were facing. Many of those challenges, in retrospect, would have been easier if these good people had the advice of a lawyer. I was always drawn to these conversations, much to the dismay of the adults around me, who I’m sure were annoyed at my attention to “grown-up” conversations, which is widely frowned upon in most Southern families.

Early Exposure to Real-World Issues

Nevertheless, those discussions provided insight into the real-world issues that my loved ones encountered. Some were simpler than others. I can recall instances where my relatives discussed traffic tickets they had recently received, firmly convinced that they hadn’t deserved a ticket. Yet, they found themselves compelled to pay a fine due to their inability to take time from work to attend court. Others involved more complex legal issues, such as my late grandmother’s persistent concerns regarding the legal ownership of a large plot of land adjacent to her property. As the years went by, I noticed that these same concerns were being repeated, over and over again. I couldn’t help but wonder: Who can my family call on to address these issues? What are the avenues available to resolve these disputes? I concluded that I wanted to be a lawyer so I could help them and others.

It seemed to me that many of the challenges being discussed were often shrugged off, attributed to the simple hardships of everyday life. Those challenges are indicative of why attorneys with a hard-nosed, solution-oriented mentality are so important to people like my family and people I grew up with. These seemingly random discussions during our family gatherings (that I’m sure my family members regarded as simply “letting off steam”) influenced me to become a legal problem solver one day. If nothing else, my family back home knows that they have someone in their corner to resolve their legal issues or at least offer commonsense advice. That alone was enough to motivate me to pursue a career as a litigator.

By being the youngest of seven children, I was placed into the ideal position to perfect the traits necessary to become a good advocate.

Family Molds Many Litigators

One thing that I’ve noticed in my brief stint as a litigation associate is that many successful litigators come from large families and certainly blue-collar families. If you take a deep dive into what the typical upbringing is like in a large family, this isn’t surprising. In big-family households, there’s a constant need to negotiate your wants and needs with the others of the bunch. Whether it’s bargaining for extra remote time on the living room television with an older brother or trading your portion of the dinner entrée for your sister’s dessert, there tends to be a lot of wheeling and dealing. What’s more, these households tend to combine many unique personalities, needs, and preferences. Even as the youngest of the group, I understood how to achieve the best possible outcomes for myself when hammering out differences with my older siblings. In addition, growing up in a large family is a great way to teach effective communication skills. As the youngest of the pack, I had to be extra strenuous to communicate effectively with my siblings since my perceived immaturity would often cause my words to fall on deaf ears. Looking back, I’m grateful because this not only forced me to voice my contentions with conviction but also helped to shape my oral advocacy skills.

Family experiences, good and bad, can mold great litigators. Conflict is inevitable, with families and in litigation. One surefire way to keep those conflicts alive is a refusal to negotiate in good faith or ineffective communication with adversaries, including opposing counsel. Thankfully, my upbringing allowed me to practice these skills at a young age, so I am well prepared to take on a career in litigation. If I need to persuade the court that our case with not-so-great facts should win on summary judgment, or if I simply need to get opposing counsel onboard with different deposition dates, I’m confident that I can handle these obstacles with ease because I’ve been preparing for these moments since I was knee-high, negotiating with a pack of older siblings.

Zealous advocacy requires a respectful professional environment. One of the reasons that I take such an immense pride in being from the rural areas of the Deep South is because it taught me to be exceptionally welcoming, friendly, and accommodating toward others, all of which I hope will help me to become a collaborative litigator with deep and abiding professional connections. As I was growing up, our community placed a big emphasis on interpersonal relationships. It was not only appreciated but expected that one exhibit warm-heartedness and congeniality with others, regardless of familiarity.

Now these same qualities can be translated into my role as a young litigator, as I can prioritize these traits in my interactions with judges, opposing counsel, paralegals, and support staff. I know I am part of the larger legal community. Exhibiting hospitality in day-to-day interactions is an essential element in helping any community flourish. Whether it’s being accommodating with deadline extensions or simply maintaining politeness in adversarial settings, remaining hospitable is indicative of a commitment to fostering a cordial professional environment—a goal that all litigators should seek to achieve. We’ll see how I do when I’m tested by rude opposing counsel or a difficult judge.

As far as experience as a litigator goes, I’m still wet behind the ears. At least for the next year or so, I’m the youngest kid once again. I realize that there’s hard work and moxie required to balance my career as a litigator, and I have a long way to go before I make my mark in the profession. Nevertheless, my background has put me in a good position. My family and upbringing equipped me with many of the right traits, experiences, and tendencies to help me succeed. As I embark on my career as a litigator, the foundation that my upbringing provided will always guide my steps in this profession. Although I’m barely through my first year, my roots and the invaluable lessons that I took away from my younger years help me to navigate the demands of the litigation grind with resilience and determination. Now it’s time to buckle down and get the job done. I will keep you posted on how it’s going.