Originally printed in the Washington State Association for Justice’s Trial News, December 2006, Volume 41, number 4.
This article was written in 2006 when Deborah Nelson was the president of the Washington State Association for Justice, but serves as great reminder as we move forward into the New Year with a renewed focus on our lives and work as plaintiff’s lawyers.
A season of thankfulness by Deborah Nelson
Thanksgiving has passed and the December holidays are upon us with all the preparations they require – the shopping, holiday parties, cards and other details that there is simply not enough time to complete. It is easy to get caught up in the commercialism of the season and focus on the things that need to be done and the excitement surrounding the festivities themselves. I must admit that I do not really buy into all of that. I do not much care for the commercialism of the season and tend to be somewhat of a Grinch when it comes to the entire season. Instead, I try to focus on the New Year ahead. I am probably happiest on December 26th when all the holiday frenzy is over (unless you count the ever popular Boxing Day) and everyone finally joins me in focusing on the New Year. For me, this is a season of contemplation. It is a time to think of what happened, what I experienced, and what I did in the past year and what new challenges and goals await in the upcoming year. What do I want to do? What do I want to change? What do I need to work on? Something about the New Year always feels fresh and full of promise.
In addition, instead of trying to focus on my losses (personal and professional) and the things I do not have, I try very hard to focus on being thankful. If I take a moment and get away from the pressures and deadlines of the daily grind, it is not hard to be thankful – very thankful. The type of work we do helps also. Plaintiffs’ trial lawyers are reminded on a daily basis of the things for which we should be thankful. After all, we first meet our clients because of the losses in their lives. We are not drafting wills or contracts or handling mergers and acquisitions, we are performing triage. When people ask what I do for a living, I say, “I help people solve their problems.” I also say, “I practice disaster law.” My clients have not budgeted for my services, they did not sit down at the end of last year and plan to hire a lawyer, they did not decide that hiring me would be one of their goals for the New Year. Instead, they suffered an unexpected injury, experienced the frustration of unfulfilled promises from their own insurance company, or found themselves in middle of the disintegration of their family or marriage. Our clients come to us in times of disaster – when they can least afford it (financially, physically and emotionally). They come to us because they have lost their blessings. Some of our clients’ losses are so profoundly painful that it is difficult to even contemplate how they can deal with them. Given the experiences of our clients, it is not hard to be thankful; it is easier. We are uniquely situated to solve our clients’ problems and seek compensation for their losses.
There are many “helping professions” – teaching, medicine, psychology and ministry. Being a plaintiffs’ trial lawyer is also a “helping profession.” In addition to obtaining financial or injunctive relief for our clients, we secure justice. What other profession does that? The plaintiffs’ lawyers I know are a special breed. They chose this area of the law not because it is easy (it is not), not because the hours are good (they definitely are not), and not because it is lucrative (it is not always), but because they truly want to help people. They help not only their clients, but also their staff, their colleagues and their communities. Thankfulness instills a desire to give back and make a difference. That is why we became plaintiffs’ lawyers.
As the year draws to a close, I wish you good health, happiness, prosperity, and a challenging, exciting and fulfilling New Year.
Deborah Nelson, is a partner in the Seattle law firm Nelson Boyd, PLLC, a past president of the Washington State Association for Justice, a member of the American Association for Justice, and has been named a Super Lawyer in Washington state every year since 2003. Her law practice focuses on serious personal injury, traumatic brain injury, insurance coverage and insurance bad faith litigation, legal malpractice, and consumer class actions.
