A letter to my 10-year-old self, who wanted to be a lawyer

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To 10-year-old Jermaine:

So you want to be a lawyer? Just that dream alone makes me smile. You don’t even know a lawyer! But you know what? Do it. That would definitely make the family proud, and you could do some good with your life that way. Here’s my biggest challenge to you, though: Find your natural path in the law. Sure, you can do great in law school, learn from, compete and work with the best of them. Sure you can get guidance from your vast network you build over time. But having the intellect and support to navigate legal issues is only one thing. Navigating the issues without losing the natural drive, passion, willingness to help others and curiosity that brought you here in the first place is another. After all, would you really want to gain a career as a great lawyer and lose yourself?

Yes, it’s cool to represent big-name corporations and be hired by a big firm or two, but do you really like it? Is it a natural fit for you? Truth is, you don’t like asbestos and lead paint defense work. And when meeting CEOs and GCs doesn’t excite you, it’s time to go. Never forget your desire to represent people. Never forget your desire to get justice for people. You know what, you would love plaintiffs’ medical malpractice work! You would love to represent individuals whose lives are changed — sometimes forever — because of medical negligence. Believe me, you would get motivated simply by knowing who you represent and what is at stake for them. You will dream about your cases and wake up at 2:30 a.m. writing notes about your upcoming deposition. You will work with some of the best attorneys to do this work, and you will love what you do. They will believe in you and will put you into the game with no hesitation. But the reason you love it is that it allows you to be yourself, all while helping the people you were born to help. It allows you to be Jermaine first and a lawyer second.

No matter where you go or what you experience, be sure to keep the core of who you are intact, for it is that core that will allow you to reach your highest potential. Stay true to yourself; many people are depending on that — especially me.

Jermaine Haughton, a medical malpractice attorney at Wais Vogelstein Forman & Offutt LLC, is a 2015 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law. He can be reached at [email protected].