‘You Will Have Great Success in our Storied Profession’
Remarks Offered by Thomas A. Cole, ’75, at the 2022 Law School Diploma and Hooding Ceremony
Thank you, Dean Miles for that generous introduction. And thank you, too, for your outstanding leadership of our great Law School.
It’s an honor for me to be selected to share a few words with you, the new graduates. My on-going relationship with the Law School is a reflection of my sense of indebtedness to an institution that prepared me so well to pursue my life’s work and that has allowed me to spend time with so many sensational students. I am indebted to Geof Stone who, as Dean in 1993, invited me to teach my seminar on corporate governance. That invitation came almost exactly a year after he told me that adjuncts were (to quote Geof) “a terrible idea.” And I am indebted to all of the Deans since Geof for inviting me back.
I also feel indebted to many of the legendary professors whose portraits grace the halls of the Law School—Wally Blum, one of the great teachers of all time; Bernie Meltzer; Soia Mentschikoff, among others. I feel indebted to the classmates in my study group. We taught each other well!
And I long ago got over being humiliated by one particular professor (whom I will not name). I foolishly volunteered in class during the first week of my first year. I thought I said something pretty brilliant. He responded to my remark by looking at his shoes for about a five count (it seemed much longer). He then moved on without acknowledging my remark. That was a moment of existential angst. I do wish he were with us today!
I want to cover two things briefly. First, to welcome you to our storied profession. Second, to share a few suggestions—as a supplement to your superb education. I hope that these suggestions will be useful to you whether you practice law or pursue one of the many other opportunities that will come your way because of your education and intelligence.
So, welcome to the profession! This message of welcome is directed largely to those of you receiving your JD. But my broader message is also intended for the practitioners among you who have just received an LLM or a JSD.
Here’s that message: We should always remember that we are engaged in a profession. I much prefer using the word “profession” to descriptions of the practice of law as a “business” or as an “industry”. Obviously, many of us in practice serve businesses in all kinds of industries, and my comments are not meant to minimize that importance of what those organizations do. Nor do I mean to suggest that law firms should not operate in a business-like fashion. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that we are engaged in a profession.
We are different, and we should celebrate and preserve that difference and recognize our responsibilities. For example, our profession demands that we engage in life-long learning to support our craft. “Continuing legal education” is an important pursuit. You will find that out. Even more important is our commitment to activities and ideals that go way beyond our day-to-day work. The legal profession has a grand tradition of providing pro bono services and civic engagement. In addition, many of the most successful practitioners advance the careers of their competitors by speaking at seminars and writing articles. Most important, however, is the pivotal role our profession plays in supporting the rule of law—among the most critical elements of our democracy.
So, be proud of our profession…it deserves it!
Now for three suggestions for your continued success. I want to spend a few minutes on each of resilience, demeanor and reputation.
Resilience: Unless you’ve had an unusually sheltered existence, you already know that life has its up-and-downs. Careers follow a similar path. Not every professional (or even personal) encounter will result in a win. Remember what Nelson Mandela said: “I never lose. I either win or I learn”. Learning from disappointment often requires resilience. What can you do to bolster your resilience?
First, you’re awfully young, but pay attention to this; attend to your health—both physical and mental. Achieving a decent work-life balance is a good start. That balance requires investing time and energy in, among other things, your relationships with others—parents, a spouse or significant other, children and friends. Think of those folks as important clients. Investing time, energy and (yes) money in giving back to your community—civic and charitable endeavors—can also help you strike a good balance. Sure you should have some “me time”, but don’t be the person who says “enough about me…let’s talk about you…what do you think of me?”
Second, think of feedback as a gift. Learn from it. Be resilient when you receive criticism, even if it is not gently delivered.
Most importantly, at any point in your career, when and if you feel overwhelmed, reach out to a mentor or someone else who can help you out. Seeking help is a sign of strength…a sign of courage.
Demeanor: Executive recruiters sometimes say they search for people whom others will want to see succeed. Be one of those people. How?
Humility is a good start. Recognize that your success is not the result only of your talent and hard work. It is also, to a greater or lesser degree, attributable to the support you have received from others—especially those who are here celebrating with you today. It is also attributable to a healthy serving of good luck. You have graduated from an elite law school. My four daughters (even the one who went to Harvard Law) have frequently heard me call our school the World’s Greatest Law School, which I truly believe. Maybe intergalactically the greatest. You are well on your way to becoming a part of the elite of our profession. That said, resist elitism. (I was going to say “eschew elitism,” but that sounded too elitist.)
Two more components of a proper professional demeanor: While we have been trained to espouse positions with vigor, learn to disagree without being disagreeable. Too many folks—and not just lawyers—fail to heed this admonition. Arrogance and excessive aggressiveness in espousing a position can cause folks to tune out, question the validity of your position or otherwise be counterproductive. Failing to listen fully to what others are saying has a similarly negative impact. Being a good listener doesn’t just mean waiting your turn to speak.
Finally, be nice to support staff. Never yell—they will stop supporting you and you will have yeller’s remorse. Avoid sarcasm. Say “please” and “thank you” early and often. And when you are in a position to supervise other lawyers, treat them the same way, and also encourage them to strike a good work/life balance.
Reputation: Good professional demeanor is but one element of a positive personal reputation. There are others.
You want to be known for integrity—intellectual and personal. If you associate with people of questionable integrity, be aware that some of their flaws may rub off on you or be attributed to you.
You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t somewhat ambitious. Consider earning a reputation for being “selflessly ambitious”—that is, be at least as interested in the success of your colleagues and organization as you are in your own advancement.
Develop a reputation for responsiveness. Responsiveness to clients is critical in a service profession. Responsiveness to colleagues is critical for effective collaboration.
Be concise in delivering advice. I hope I haven’t failed that so far. Remember that your goal is to be informative, not to show others how smart you are. They will never regret when you say, “I’ll be brief.”
Finally, maintain a positive outlook. A reputation for positivity is far better than the opposite. Many of you have read books and articles by Atul Gawande, the surgeon and professor at Harvard Medical School. He gives this advice to medical residents—don’t participate in gripe sessions...they bring you down and don’t get you anywhere.
With resilience, a professional demeanor and a carefully cultivated reputation—all on top of the superb education you just completed—you will have great success in our storied profession or whatever other career you choose to pursue.
Let me end this way: Remember my story about the professor who stared at his shoes and ignored my volunteered comment? There is a denouement that contributed greatly to my personal resilience. A few weeks later, he looked in my direction. I was relieved when he addressed the student seated behind me. The professor said to my classmate, “You are shaking you head; do you disagree?” My classmate responded, “Oh, I’m sorry professor. If I am shaking my head, it is simply to stay awake.” Blind grading is a wonderful thing!
Thanks for listening. Congratulations to you all!