The first informational interview of my ISM journey was conducted with Taylor Horton, an associate attorney at the law firm of Fee, Smith, Sharp, & Vitullo. As this was my initial experience getting out into the field, I was very nervous but also excited to learn from a real, live professional (instead of Google). A few of the main topics I wanted to learn more about were the typical day or week for an attorney, the way they begin preparing strategies for cases, the frequency in which trial occurs, the types of cases they deal with, and just more about the legal system and how it generally functions.
Right off the bat, Mr. Horton gave very thorough answers to my questions. His current job mainly focuses on civil litigation, and he has represented clients in situations of medical malpractice, victims of securities fraud and other broker/financial advisor misconduct, and cases involving breaches of fiduciary duty. Some of the highlights of the interview include when he went into details and described his specific areas of practice and what they entail. The interview took a compelling turn that I did not expect, because instead of speaking on more theoretical concepts, Mr. Horton really dove into the distinct details of the field, and gave me his first-hand perspective on them: such as different types of fee agreements, the way cases are processed, how new clients are taken on, and the exact process of a trial. I found this to be incredibly helpful. As someone who never knew they wanted to be an attorney except for maybe a few fleeting thoughts when I was watching dramatized TV shows, I have little knowledge of all the legal processes. He gave me a better scope and background on these areas. It also redefined many of the assumptions I had about practicing law.
Although Mr. Horton does not currently practice in the field of criminal law, which is my focus this year in ISM, he did have previous experience with it. It was fascinating to hear about his past as a Public Defender, which he described as some of the best legal experience he ever had. Despite being incredibly overworked and somewhat underpaid, the time he got in court and experience dealing with unpredictable situations was priceless. This really spoke to me, because I felt even more certain that the study of criminal law was the right path for me, compared to what we had previously discussed in the civil realm. It also helped steer me in the direction of those types of lawyers for my next interviews. I really want to get as broad a spectrum as possible when it comes to my research.
We also discussed how the field has impacted his lifestyle, in which he described how busy he constantly is. I wasn’t really surprised by this, but the general consensus, which I definitely agree with, is that if you’re doing something you love, it hardly feels like work. Mr. Horton just made sure to stress the importance of balance, which is advice I do not plan on taking lightly! Something unexpected that I learned was that trial is exceptionally rare, and many times, it’s not in the best interest of the client or the lawyers to take it to that extent. Mostly, agreements are reached and settled without actually involving any jury or judge.
Overall, I had a highly successful and informational first interview, which not only laid a basis for what to expect in any field of law, but also how to validate a parking ticket in a parking garage in Downtown Dallas, alone.
