What An Attorney At An Arizona Litigation Firm Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Law Industry
Davis, an Arizona attorney, revealed a surprising reality of the legal profession: "a ton of motion practice," involving extensive writing, rewriting, and research—significantly more than law school prepares one for. The interviewee also noted the unexpected importance of law school grades in shaping career trajectory, emphasizing that "grades are extremely important" for career success.
Legal Research, Motion Practice, Legal Writing, Law School Curriculum, Career Path
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Davis Bauer
Attorney
Top Litigation Firm in Arizona
University of Arizona, Eller College of Management (B.S. Marketing, 2010-2014)
University of Kansas School of Law (J.D., 2018)
Marketing
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Law
Legal
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The legal profession, especially in litigation, involves extensive motion practice, including significant writing, rewriting, editing, and legal research, which is not fully covered in law school.
2. The skills and knowledge acquired in law school do not always directly translate to the practical aspects of legal practice, highlighting a considerable difference between the academic and professional settings.
3. Law school performance, particularly grades, plays a crucial role in shaping career trajectory and opportunities within the legal field. This is often not fully emphasized before commencing legal studies.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered this industry?
Here's the cleaned transcript:
A couple of things. Number one is there's a lot, at least in my field, there's a ton of motion practice. This involves a lot of writing, rewriting, editing, and legal research that goes into the motions I write and draft.
You don't do a ton of that in law school. Law school teaches its own way of writing, which isn't always transferable to practice. I found practice is a lot different in that regard, especially with how much motion practice you're doing.
I'll be writing a couple of motions every week. Some are really easy, and some are also kind of difficult and time-consuming. That's probably something I wish someone had told me about.
Another thing is I did not know that law school would be very determinative of your career path. It essentially is, and that's what everybody learns in their first, second, or third year. Grades are extremely important, and that's what everyone should know before going into law school.
Advizer Personal Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davisbauer/, @davisbauerlaw (Twitter)