The Decided Are Always Gentle: Lawyering Advice from James E. Faust
I recently read a talk by James E. Faust given in 2003 to the J. Reu ben Clark Law Society . Mr. Faust was a World War II pilot, the President of the Utah Bar Association, on President Kennedy’s Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, and in the Utah House of Representatives as a Democrat. In 1978 he left his profession as a lawyer and served the remaining years of his life in the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The remarks I read were called “Be Healers” and are available HERE . His thoughts showed great humilit…
3 Lessons from a Terrible Job Interview
After graduating from law school and taking the bar, I was interviewing for jobs… like it was my job. Image by Jonathan Mueller on Flickr CC BY 2.0. Some interviews went well. And then, of course, some didn’t. Some were obviously my fault: insufficient prep, fatigue, applying for jobs I knew I wasn’t a good fit for, blanking on softball questions like “what classes are you taking this semester?” Others, however, were not my fault: an interviewer singing a derogatory song about my faith, another complaining about women applicants getting pr…
What Can a Lawyer Give for Christmas? Withheld Judgment
A withheld judgment is a tool used by judges to incentivize compliance with probation terms and to allow someone to move on with his or her life after satisfactorily dealing with a mistake. As described by legalbeagle.com : A withheld judgment can allow the defendant to avoid a having a criminal conviction on his record. At the time of sentencing, the judge informs the defendant of the terms he must meet, which can include a probationary period, restitution fees paid to the court and victim, and rarely, jail time. The judge does not, however, …
Understanding Immigration Means Understanding Family
Like many others, I was profoundly affected by the images of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi found dead on a Turkish shoreline. You may see and read more about the story here and here but do note that it is highly disturbing . The migrant crisis today in Europe is massive, with 4 million Syrians having fled their homes, Aylan included. Concerning Aylan, the New York Times wrote: [I]t is not the sheer size of the catastrophe — millions upon millions forced by war and desperation to leave their homes — but a single tragedy that has clarified the m…
