What an Of Counsel at Best Best and Krieger wishes they had known before entering the Law industry
Brandon, an Of Counsel attorney at Best Best & Krieger, wishes someone had emphasized the sheer amount of reading involved and, more significantly, the unexpectedly long and arduous journey to actually practicing law, noting that "the finish line kept changing" throughout law school and the early stages of a legal career. The amount of resource and time it would take to cross that finish line and to "actually practice law" was something that Brandon wished he was more aware of at the beginning of his career.
Industry Realities, Time Commitment, Career Development, Hard Truths, Entry-Level
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Brandon Kline
Of Counsel
Best Best & Krieger, LLP
California State University, Sacramento
Lewis & Clark Law School, JD/LLM
Economics, Political Science, American Studies
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Law
Legal
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The role involves a significant amount of reading, similar to being in school.
2. The path to practicing law is a long and involved process with numerous stages and requirements, extending far beyond law school.
3. The time and resources required to become a lawyer are substantial, and the 'finish line' keeps moving, requiring sustained effort and commitment.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
Okay. Reading for law school, you're going to do a lot of reading. I wish I had known it takes as long as it does.
I wish I had known there were all the tests. You make this decision earlier on in your career, so you don't really realize the scope of the resource and time that will go into actually getting over the finish line.
In law school, the finish line kept changing. First, you have to do the LSAT. Then that's your 0L year, and you spend all this time trying to get into law school. You have to do all these things, gather all this paperwork.
I wish I had known it would be a long time before I would actually practice law.