Tell Me A Story

TELL ME A STORY By: Caleb A. Wade

Morehous Legal Group, PLLC

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

“I thought about going to law school.”

For any attorney or law school student this is something that they have heard countless times since getting the coveted acceptance. I have heard this many times from friends, family members, and the occasional random person on the golf course. Initially, it was a phrase that would bring an awkward smile and a “it’s never too late” response.

It now brings a sense of gratitude for the experience that I went through and the fact that although there were many days where changing course seemed like the best option, I have stayed moving forward in this profession. And in moving forward I have learned a great lesson that patience is a virtue.

In learning patience, I am forced to be grateful for timing. Timing is a tricky notion in the practice of law. Whether it be deadlines for filing in court, responding to a client in time, or any other expectation that a lawyer must meet, timing is crucial. That is the story that I have been telling for years and will continue to tell. Although my expectation does not usually meet reality, I have realized a pattern in my life. There are three instances that have established the pattern that we must be patient because the timing is very rarely what we would choose.

May 2016 was the first instance of timing being important. I had graduated from Lee University and had been waiting on that acceptance and the word that I would have the chance to be a lawyer. After I had set up interviews for a myriad of backup options I was still hoping for some good news from the University of Tennessee. Then 2 days after I graduated, I got the call that I had been waiting on. I would be going to law school and starting my pursuit of a career in law. The experience of waiting taught me to appreciate even more the opportunity to go to law school and eventually practice.

After 2 years of law school I knew I wanted to do something that would not only grow me in my career but also give me an opportunity to do something that may not be possible after graduation. In Spring of 2018, I applied for a job with the Atlanta Braves legal department. I went through 4 rounds of interviews speaking with human resources, general counsel, paralegals, and finally the chief legal officer. The waiting was excruciating as I knew this was where I wanted to work for the summer. A week after the semester ended, I got the call that I had gotten the job. Another example of waiting where patience was tested. This is where I not only improved my skills as a lawyer but did work that gave me the confidence to move forward towards graduation and a career as an attorney.

After finally graduating and taking the Bar Exam, my life was on a track that I had been preparing for years. Without a job I had to continue to learn patience. Then a few days after the Bar exam I was hired for my first job. Another example of waiting.

The lesson that keeps presenting itself in my life is that patience is a virtue. It not only is a personal lesson but a professional one. In practicing law, there are things that we, as a collective group, face with our coworkers, clients, and people who find out that we are a lawyer and want to get a little bit of advice “for a friend”.

The gratitude that I continue to feel when somebody mentions that they thought about law school is met by my gratitude that patience was taught to me through experience, even when patience was the last thing that I wanted to learn. In practicing law, I am determined to show patience to those that need it so that I am shown the same patience.

Patience is not something that we as lawyers cannot stop learning. Though there are always lessons to learn such as; new laws, new jobs, and many other things, patience is one that will always be at the center of my story.

I recognize that every story is different in the life of an attorney. There are those who go big law, in-house, boutique firm, government, and anything in between. One of the things that we all have in common is the patience that it takes to get to where you are now. And the thing that my story has taught me is that patience is a two-way street that when it is shown to others, it can be shown to you when you need it.

I could not be more thankful for the lessons I have learned and the professors, bosses, and friends along the way to get me to this place.

P.O. Box 2027 Knoxville, TN 37901

Prsrt Std US POSTAGE PAID

KNOXVILLE, TN PERMIT NO. 309