Taking Out the Trash

When I was in law school, we heard many times that "the people you are in school with are the people you will be working with in the future."

Like many things I heard at that age, I thought No Way.  The profession seemed way too big for that.

And it was not always so easy to try and like everyone.  The cutthroat competition didn't help.  And at that time in the 90s, the University of Houston was a much more diverse place that I had been.  People from all walks of life were there, black, white, male, female, Christian, Jew, gay, straight, rich, poor.  There were times it was not so easy to mesh and there were clashes.

One class I remember was Trial Advocacy.  There were only 12 of us in there and while I was trying it on for size, there were others that were Very Serious about this course.  So the level of competition was high, for there could only be one winner and one loser in these contests.

One of my classmates, Lucy was someone that I didn't have much in common with.  I didn't know much about her and that didn't help.  She was very competitive.  I was not.  I fell behind in the class.  Because it was a night class, I did not get out until after 9 p.m.  One night I was driving home, very frustrated about the whole class, when I got a wake up.  If I don't figure this out, I'm going to get a C or worse for a grade.  And the thought of that happening intentionally was something that upset me.  I had to figure it out.

I decided that I should seek help from another Professor Lauren Ravkind who was a new professor.  I went to ask what to do to get better and she gave me some good advice:  Anticipate the problems so you can be ready to solve them when they are called to attention.  In short, Proper preparation prevents poor performance.  I was able to right the ship and got a B in the class.  I didn't have any problems with other classmates thereafter because I was focused on my own performance.

We finished that class in 1991 and graduated in 1992.  After working in Houston for 10 years I moved to McAllen TX where I did not know anyone to speak of.  I rented my office at 504 E Dove.  Thereafter a law firm moved in next door.  There is an alley between the two buildings.  At the time I didn't not have any employees and one day I was taking out the trash to the back.

Guess who looked out her window at the law firm and saw me walking my taking out the trash?  My old UH Trial advocacy classmate Lucy!  Imagine her surprise at seeing me in her hometown.  And working right next door.  Since then we have become friendly, her nephew and my daughter were in the Memorial High School band together.  We see each other at all the functions and around town, since it is not that big on some levels.

So be nice to your law school classmates.  That time-honored advice has some truth to it.