Lawyers share perspectives at law panel

By Sarah Rutledge | Thresher Editorial Staff

Pre-law students came out in full force Wednesday, Oct. 17 as Rudy Ramirez hosted a law panel at Sewall Hall. Ramirez, a former lawyer who teaches Introduction to Law and coaches the Mock Trial Team, said he organized the event to better inform students about law school and legal professions given the limited opportunities for pre-law students at Rice.

The panel was composed of Criminal Defense Attorney Brian Warren, Litigation Attorney Edward Adams (Will Rice ‘91), a partner at Fulbright and Jaworski, U.S. District Judge David Hittner, Olga Moya, an environmental law professor at South Texas College of Law, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vernon Lewis, Eva Guzman, justice of the Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals, Brett Busby, Partner at Mayer Brown law firm and intellectual property lawyer Robert Riddle.

The panelists discussed the pros and cons of working at large firms and private practices. Warren, who practices at Capitaine, Shellist, Warren and McAlister, said he enjoys being able to set his own hours. However, Riddle, an associate at Baker Botts law firm, said he puts in fewer hours than he would if he were practicing independently.

Guzman, who said she was inspired to enter law after her parents lost a $5,000 investment because they failed to obtain the title, said law is not a career to enter lightly.

“It’s something you must be passionate about,” Guzman said.

Lewis stressed the importance of taking advantage of opportunities Rice offers to get a glimpse of the legal profession. By seeing what the job entails, students can determine whether being a lawyer is right for them, he said.

Hittner said the name of the law school carries some weight in getting a job, but anything that sets a student apart from others will help them to secure competitive jobs. Hittner, who receives about 200 times more applications than he has jobs available, said the process often comes down to minute details.

Hittner said when applying for jobs after law school, applicants must have something to set them aside from the rest, such as the ability speak foreign languages. He advised students not to hesitate to put anything down that would set them apart. He said an especially difficult decision came with two candidates with high test scores and good grades. Since Hittner is a hockey fan, he said one applicant’s involvement in her college hockey team jumped out at him.

“All else being equal, I went with the hockey player,” Hittner said. “You pick the absolute best.”

Moya said getting the best grades possible, which may require 20 hours of studying each day, is a good academic investment to help a student stand out in law school. She said after the first year of law school, one should seek outside employment to gain experience and make contacts.

Moya said students with 4.0 GPAs and no job history often do not secure jobs because of their lack of practical experience. Outside employers can write recommendations for their future jobs, she said.

Moya said involvement in mock trials and dispute resolution provides useful experience for later employment, she said. Adams said he looks for applicants with writing skills. He recommended getting on the law journal or law review during law school to hone these skills.

“If you can write clearly and concisely, it will serve you well throughout your career,” Adams said.

Riddle said that in large state schools, students have to be ranked high in their class to be considered for recruitment in law firms, which results in an extremely competitive environment. There is a tradeoff between state schools and harder law schools, where one may be able to get away with having a lower GPA, he said.

The panelists also discussed how they balanced their social lives with their careers. Although on paper, a lawyer works 40 hours a week for 50 weeks a year, Adams said the numbers are misleading. Work demands occur around the clock and affect lawyers’ social lives, he said.

“You’re at work longer than 9-5,” Adams said. “It doesn’t matter what plans you have with your spouse.”

Riddle said younger lawyers are increasingly looking for alternatives to billable hours at work, including working from home. Guzman said as more lawyers are looking to work until 6 p.m. on weekdays and take weekends off, it has become easier to find a job in the public sector that fit those needs. Hittner said the best part of being a judge is the ability to control his schedule.

Louis said burnout often occurs when professionals fail to balance their personal and professional lives.

“Law is a marathon, not a sprint,” Louis said. “If you’re a young associate, it’s easy to focus only on your job and lose perspective, especially when the financial rewards are great.”

An audience member asked the panel their thoughts on students taking a break from school before entering law school. Hittner said students should go immediately to law school from college. Warren, who spent a year in London, said he had a better perspective after going abroad. Riddle said taking a year off to work could help with jobs like his, which are largely based on outside experience. Applicants can use this mini-career as leverage when applying for jobs, he said.

An audience member asked the panelists their opinion about students entering law school without the intent to practice after. Moya said for many, understanding law helps them better understand business. Many CEOs of banks have law degrees to improve the way they do their jobs, and a law degree can open doors for those in other professional arenas, she said.

Warren said getting a law degree may be a good investment even for those outside the legal professions, but that it is a large investment everyone might not be able to make.

“It’s the best education I’ve ever had,” Warren said. “It’s also very expensive.”

Will Rice senior Anna Valkovich, a pre-law student, found the different views offered by the panel informative.

“It’s always helpful to get as many perspectives as possible from those who have practiced,” she said. “What I personally like is hearing about all the different experiences the lawyers and judges were relating to their own backgrounds that helped them and influenced their career, who they are and how they wanted to practice.”

October 26, 2007

The Student Newspaper of Rice University

Lawyers share perspectives at law panel

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