What I've Learned

• Jurisdiction: California,United States
• Citation: Vol. 35 No. 1
• Publication year: 2022
• Author: By Dan Lawton
• topic: Business of Law,Contracts,Family Law,Corporate / Commercial,Labor Law,Employment Law,Personal Injury Law,Civil Procedure

What I've Learned

By Dan Lawton

California Litigation sat down with a group of lawyers and a judge, and asked them what they've learned during their careers.

The interviewees had some things in common. All have been deeply involved in the profession since at least the early 1990's. All have practiced in the private bar at one time or another. All have enjoyed professional success. And all have experienced disappointment and failure.

We asked them these questions: How important is it to have fun in your career? What should young lawyers be seeking in mentors and professional relationships? How can lawyers avoid the pitfall of spending all of their time on their law practices and neglecting their families and health? What happens when you feel stale and unchallenged? How do you deal with disappointment and failure? How important, really, is civility?

This article recounts their answers.

Kelly Capen Douglas is chief executive officer of Voices for Children, a San Diego-based charity which recruits, trains, and supports court-appointed volunteers who speak up for the needs and well-being of children in foster care. Formerly, she served as general counsel of the University of San Diego. Douglas was also a partner of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, where she began her career practicing labor and employment law after graduating from Duke University School of Law.

Dennis J. Doucette is a partner of Procopio LLP in San Diego, where he is co-leader of the firm's Capital Markets and Securities practice group. Dennis counsels buyers, sellers, and investors in mergers, stock and asset purchases, management buyouts, and reorganizations. Dennis is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law and a native of Brockton, Massachusetts.

Timothy B. Taylor is a judge of the Superior Court. His chambers are in the Hall of Justice in downtown San Diego. Before his appointment to the bench by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005, Judge Taylor was a partner of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, where he practiced civil litigation for 21 years. He is an alumnus of Georgetown University Law Center.

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Bryan R. Snyder is a sole practitioner who represents plaintiffs in personal injury and business cases in the California and federal courts. Snyder began his career at the San Diego-based law firm of Duke Gerstel Shearer, where he became managing partner, before going out on his own. Snyder is an alumnus of University of San Diego School of Law. He is a retired Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 713 in Del Mar, California, and is an Eagle Scout.

Jeff Chine is a partner of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble & Mallory, LLP, where he counsels and represents clients in land use matters before the California Coastal Commission, the California courts, and other tribunals. Chine is a graduate of the UCLA School of Law. He is a native of Malvern, Arkansas.

On Liking What You Do

Snyder: "You gotta find a practice where you can have some fun. If you're just a lawyer and all you're doing is trying to bill hours or just grind things out . . . that's just not gonna be a great way to spend your life. I've been fortunate I've been able to have some cases where you get to have some fun. You get to wear the white hat and help people in their lives. . . .

"I had a case I settled recently, not a big case, a rear-end collision, it was a $100,000 policy, we made the policy-limit demand, and the insurance company sat on it, for whatever reason. And so there is case law that says when the insurance company doesn't act promptly you open up the policy and they're liable for greater than the policy limits. Ultimately we settled the case for significantly greater than the policy limit was. And that's just fun. . . .

"If you can get yourself in a position where you're making a living and also having some fun that's a great place to be."

On Mentors and Relationships

Douglas: "I started out working with a big law firm, and I had a fantastic experience there. But I had a fantastic experience because I had the opportunity to work with amazing mentors and more senior lawyers who gave me opportunities and taught me a lot. I also had the chance to work with peers. Those relationships started when I was a young lawyer but I still have many of them today. That trust that you build over time is just critical to your evolution of your career."

Doucette: "Malcolm Gladwell says you need 10,000 hours before you get good at something. It took me all 10,000 hours and then some. I don't think I understood what a lawyer was until my fourth or fifth year of practicing law. I didn't have the attention to detail. I didn't really understand how to practice law, what was important. Law school didn't at that time train you to be a...