A whole New Group of Graduates -Some Words of Advice!

office pic 2office pic 5Lately our law firm has been posting a lot of pictures of our staff and in particular of recent graduates, whether high school, college, graduate school etc. You may wonder why in a criminal defense page I am writing about that but as clich…éd as it may sound these kids are our future and each of the ones I post about I feel I have had some kind of helpful hand in mentoring, teaching, or being a friend in a position to advise about the struggles and angst they feel as they enter college, graduate school or the job market. Having been through all that and somehow come out the other side intact with some well earned scars to the psyche and wrinkles to the face, I think mentoring or advising or giving a kid a chance is one of the greatest things we lawyers can do. Throughout my career I have had great, good and not so good interns and the first two categories are like sponges who  want to learn and do not start at a company thinking they know everything or that they know more than the attorney, partner, Judge etc. Believe me, I have had a few of those. So my message to all you graduates is yes, you can find your passion and I guarantee with the right attitude, it will find you! Don’t be afraid to take risks, aim high, work hard and above all do not compare yourself to others! Also do not forget to have fun along the way! Just because you are now an adult with responsibilities does not mean you should not have fun doing what you do. This morning I was honored to be at a graduation party for my neighbor Ariana Grieco who just got accepted into Northwestern University Graduate Program. When she got accepted I was overjoyed and called her and was surprised to hear how stressed she was at the prospect of not being able to keep up in the program-an idea she had totally put in her own mind that had no basis in reality. I reminded her of her promise she made to me after she had completed all her grad school applications, that she would take some time to have a little fun. I told her what I am telling you now; face the future not with fear but with anticipation and realize that you can do it. Not to go all sixties on you but if you face the future with anticipation and not fear, you are writing the script for yourself! So write the good one, not the negative one. But above all, write something:
make a choice, a decision, take a risk, learn something new. Inaction gets you nowhere but stuck. And have a blast along the way. I know I did.

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