Gregory Peck personified the role of the idealistic lawyer as Atticus Finch, the small-town attorney who fights racism in an Alabama town, in this scene from 1962’s . 42 |43 YLR Winter 2006

Having a Plan Makes All the Difference Bernadette Atuahene ’02 The Assistant Professor of Law Profession: Chicago-Kent College of Law Employment Fulbright Scholar, South Africa...clerkship, Constitutional Court of South Africa...French studies in Paris...associate, Cleary, A Search Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton...assistant professor of law, Chicago-Kent College of Law.

The Yale Law School experience Yale helped me to shape my goals. I traveled a lot during summer for fellowships, and gained valuable experience. Later, when searching for a job, the Law School provided an unbelievable amount of help and coaching Satisfaction when I was on the market. Rewards…and Regrets I love teaching at Chicago- Kent. I love the student interactions, the interac- tions with my colleagues, and my research agenda. I didn’t join the Law Journal at Yale, but instead Much has been written in recent years about the changing wrote my own article which was eventually pub- nature of the legal profession and how lawyers are balancing lished in the University of Puerto Rico Law Review, and this success set me on the road to teaching. work/life issues in an increasingly competitive environment. At Cleary I found that there is a huge amount Yale Law School students and alumni have engaged in these of pressure placed on associates, but I did learn a conversations at every opportunity—in the classroom, in lot. I was on the team that represented Argentina in its historic debt restructuring transaction, and programs run by the Law School’s Career Development Office, I traveled to El Salvador and Guatemala represent- in talks sponsored by the Dean’s Program on the Profession, ing underwriters in debt issuances. The big picture and, most recently, at Alumni Weekend. was very exciting, and so was the travel, but some The Yale Law Report recently asked some alumni about their of the other work was quite unchallenging. The private sector wasn’t what I wanted, and I think career choices and their satisfaction with them. Graduates that I would have been frustrated if I didn’t have were also asked if they had any advice for current students. my exit plan prepared before I entered Wall Street. Here’s what some of them had to say. >>> Advice Follow your passions. Photograph by Universal Studios/Getty Images Studios/Getty Universal by Photograph with a healthy dose of realism about the power politics that lie behind many real- Combining Social Justice with Don’t Follow the Money life decisions of supposedly impartial a Passion for the Environment Robert S. Litt ’76 decision-makers. I also got a degree that Nancy Brockway ’73 Partner, Arnold & Porter opened many, many doors. Principal Washington, D.C. NBrockway & Associates, Boston Rewards…and Regrets As the whole nation is realizing today, energy is at the core of our economy and our way of life, Employment Clerkships, Hon. Employment Staff, various legal services/ and our energy use has a major impact Edward Weinfeld, SDNY, and the legal aid programs...staff, Maine Public on the natural environment. It has been Hon. Potter Stewart, United States Utilities Commission...general counsel, tremendously exciting to be a part of the Supreme Court...Assistant U.S. Massachusetts Department of Public policy debate about these crucial aspects Attorney, SDNY...attorney, Williams Utilities...legal support and expert witness, of industrial and post-industrial infra- & Connolly...Special Advisor, U.S. National Consumer Law Center...member, structure. Department of State...Deputy Assistant New Hampshire Public Utilities I would have tried not to move around Attorney General, Criminal Division, Commission...founder and principal, so much. I lost opportunities to build U.S. Department of Justice...Principal NBrockway & Associates (an energy and longer-lasting professional relationships. Deputy Associate Attorney General, utility consulting practice). On the other hand, moves that felt U.S. DOJ...partner, Arnold & Porter. like losses opened doors to other oppor- The Yale Law School Experience I got a tunities. The Yale Law School Experience great grounding in black-letter law, along At the most basic level, participation in Barristers’ Union convinced me that I wanted to be a trial lawyer, and doing well at Yale helped me get rewarding clerkships that opened a lot of profes- sional doors. My Yale education taught me not only how to think like a lawyer, but how to question and understand the underlying bases of the law. The con- ceptual issues that are often the focus of Yale classes (as opposed to the black letter) often provide useful intellectual frameworks.

Rewards…and Regrets The most rewarding part of my practice, both professionally and personally, has been the time I spent in public service in the government. The work was more interesting and the satisfaction level much greater. Unfortunately the pay ain’t great and, when one reaches the political levels in the government, you are dependent on having the right people in power. In the time I have been in practice, private practice has turned from a learned profession into a business, and I find that much less satisfying.

Don’t follow the money. Do Raymond Burr as Perry Mason produced a generation of lawyers and judges inspired by Mason’s Advice clever detective work and dramatic courtroom showdowns in this popular television drama of the what it is that will give you the most career satisfaction. 1950s and 1960s. Images Archive/Getty Photo CBS by Photograph 44 |45 YLR Winter 2006

The principal downside of my legal career was the travel. As my family grew, it Making a Difference, Rewards of the Judiciary became harder and harder to justify being However You Can Eric Smith ’79 away from them for long periods of time. Matthew Palmer ’90 llm, ’94 jsd Superior Court Judge As a sole practitioner representing rela- Pro Vice Chancellor Palmer, Alaska tively impoverished clients, there also were (Law and Government) and Dean of Law the usual concerns about finding adequate Victoria University of Wellington, insurance and planning for retirement. New Zealand Employment Attorney, Office of General Becoming a judge was an excellent Counsel, Environmental Protection change for me, for which I have no regrets. Agency...executive director, Trustees for The judicial role has been very interesting Employment Senior Economic and Alaska...founded firm specializing in envi- and in some ways very difficult. Judges Financial Analyst; Manager, New ronmental, Native, nonprofit, and admin- wield a lot of power, but at the same time, Zealand Treasury...Deputy Secretary istrative law...Judge, Superior Court. very little. We can require people and for Justice (Public Law), New Zealand institutions to act, but our authority is Ministry of Justice...Dean of Law, The Yale Law School Experience surprisingly bounded by the perception Victoria University of Wellington. The principal value of my Yale Law School of those who come to the courtroom. An education was in the training of how to apparent lack of fairness and respect can The Yale Law School Experience frame legal issues and concepts and in the substantially undo any benefit wrought by Yale Law School’s emphasis on excel- challenging rigor of the classes, exams, a ruling. This constant awareness of the lence and humanity has been relevant and papers. The courses focused on the importance of being both substantively to all the positions I’ve held, as were the thinking skills, attention to principle, and legal and policy skills I gained This constant awareness of the importance of being both substantively while at Yale. and apparently fair and respectful has been an important lesson.

Rewards…and Regrets My work in New broader policy issues underlying the law, and apparently fair and respectful has Zealand public service was tremen- “ which was very important as I moved been an important lesson. dously exciting—making a difference more and more into public interest law. As A significant reward of my judicial posi- to key areas of New Zealand law and ” a judge, that policy focus remains helpful, tion has been the opportunity to affect policy. After a while, the long hours, since judges must always be aware of the individual lives in a meaningful way. I stress, and having little time for proac- context of their rulings. spend a substantial portion of my time set- tive initiatives got to me. tling cases, principally divorce cases, in an Being Dean of Law has many My years of envi- effort to minimize disruption to the chil- demands, but also room to take initia- Rewards…and Regrets ronmental and Native issue work were dren. My sentencing comments necessarily tives, and make a difference to genera- incredibly rewarding. I was able to influ- address the social and emotional impacts tions of law students, in a longer-term ence a number of cutting-edge legal issues of crime—I often find that a defendant’s sense. in Alaska, most notably involving Native rehabilitative prospects can be strongly hunting and fishing rights and tribal influenced by the way I treat him or her Advice Make a difference. And don’t sovereignty. I traveled extensively in rural and the things I say. believe you can’t. Alaska, meeting Alaska Natives from a variety of cultures. I also participated in Advice It is very important to have a good a number of international treaty negotia- sense of why you want to be a lawyer and A CAREER SNAPSHOT tions involving Native rights. One of my how you plan to go about achieving your The Classes of 1996–2000 principal foci was integrating indigenous goals. It also is very important to be flex- knowledge and understanding into gov- ible—I had no idea I would end up living in How do the most recent YLS graduates ernmental decision-making and finding Alaska when I graduated from law school. feel about the legal profession? ways to compel the government to accept And it is important to use the great gift Each year, the Law School’s Career Development Office surveys graduates non-Western forms of knowledge. I have that we are given as Yale graduates not five years after their departure from come away from these experiences with only for our own benefit, but for others Yale Law School. For some highlights a deep understanding of the importance as well. Yale Law School gives students an from the most recent survey, see of looking at problems and solutions incredibly complete tool box, as it were— page 117. from a variety of different, including non- but that’s all it is. The test of our success is Western, perspectives. what we do with it. ness without having any business experi- you and how hard you want to work and The Road to In-House Counsel ence or formal training. how much time you want to devote to other activities. In addition, you need to be Wendy L. Hufford ’86 Find a judge, law firm, or company thinking not only about the first job, but Senior Global Litigation Counsel, Advice GE Consumer Finance that suits your personality and long-term about the second and third jobs so that Stamford, Connecticut goals. You need to be honest with yourself you can get the critical experience you about what type of work is interesting to need to follow your dreams.

Employment Clerkship, SDNY...Litigation Associate, Davis Polk & Wardwell...Vice Find a judge, law firm, or company that suits your personality President and Senior Litigation Counsel, and long-term goals. You need to be honest with yourself Credit Suisse First Boston...Vice President and Senior Litigation Counsel, GE Card about what type of work is interesting to you. Services...Senior Global Litigation Counsel, “ GE Consumer Finance.

The Yale Law School Experience private sectors” of law in the United States. While my own career has been in private Yale Law School provided me with an Use Your Position to Give Back excellent foundation for my chosen practice, it has been national and inter- Joseph S. Iseman ’41 national in its scope and has involved career. Not only did I learn the law but, Of Counsel contact with Yale-trained lawyers around more importantly, I learned how to Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison the globe. Some of these contacts have think about the law and apply it to any New York situation that I would confront. continued into old age. This past summer I spent a week visiting a classmate, both Rewards…and Regrets I have really of us on the cusp of attaining age ninety. enjoyed each and every job I have held. Employment Associate, Cohen, I thought being a law clerk was a perfect Cole, Weiss & Wharton...attorney, Rewards…and Regrets first job and my judge was a mentor to War Production Board...Army As I have practiced as a generalist, my me for many years. I enjoyed working in service...division plans officer, North rewards have included (in addition to Davis Polk’s litigation department and African Division, Air Transport a comfortable life-style) exposure to a was continually challenged by numer- Command, Casablanca...manager, wide breadth of intellectual experiences. ous complex litigation and regulatory Abadan Air Base...founder and first I learned the leadership skills required matters. When I moved in-house, I found managing director, Iranian Airways when one captains a team. I am particu- it extremely rewarding to work for just Corporation...Aviation Department, larly proud of some of the institutions one client and develop long-term rela- Chadbourne, Wallace, Parke & I have created along the way, including tionships with business people. Finally, Whiteside...associate, partner, and of the public television station in New York, I just love being an in-house attorney counsel, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & higher education facilities in the former for General Electric Company, the most Garrison. Soviet bloc, and health improvement respected company in the world. I have activities in Africa. interesting work (lots of it!), terrific man- The Yale Law School Experience Sometimes the work I’ve had to do for agers, fabulous training, and the sup- My first-year courses were important clients—which often has involved reduc- port of a world-class organization. because I came to Yale with an under- ing their tax burdens—has been incon- Litigation management for a major graduate background only in the sistent with my own political and social corporation is a demanding occupation humanities. As an officer ofThe Yale Law views that the rich should bear at least and often requires major time commit- Journal, I learned how to conduct legal their proportionate share of the social ments and international and domestic research, present reasoned arguments, burden. travel that on occasion can conflict with and write as clearly as possible. I also family obligations. found it useful to engage in bull sessions Advice You are in a very privileged posi- If I were to start all over again I would with my classmates in which we would tion that gives you an obligation to do stay an extra year at Yale and get a JD/ hammer out the pros and cons of every something for the people (whether in MBA. I think that it is harder to learn the issue. I also became well acquainted with an African village or an American urban finance and marketing sides of a busi- contemporaries who in later years would slum) who didn’t make it to Yale. come to dominate both the public and 46 |47 YLR Winter 2006

court. But my life is more rewarding than that I go to work every day and make the my career, and my life (rather than my world significantly better. I have argu- Getting the Work/Life Balance career) is and always has been my focus. ments that I can make to suggest that I Right I am fully engaged with the community in fact do so, but only in a rather indirect Paul P. Morf ’97 and—more importantly—with my family. way. I find much more psychic or “spiri- Member, Simmons Perrine Albright & Estate planning is a great field for tual” satisfaction in my volunteer activi- Ellwood, P.L.C. (a thirty-five-attorney firm) people who like human interaction, who ties, in my parenting, in my human inter- Cedar Rapids, Iowa like to help people, who enjoy complex actions, and in my physical labor at our puzzles, and who prefer to spend less of farm than I do in my legal practice. their time fighting over problems and more of their time preventing or solving Advice As a Yale Law School graduate, Employment them. money will not be the factor that limits Clerkship, Judge David R. Hansen, Practicing in a smaller firm in a smaller your happiness or the meaning in your United States Court of Appeals for the city has rewards as well. It means making life. Don’t choose your career based on Eighth Circuit...member, Simmons somewhat less money than one would money. Choose your career based on the Perrine...adjunct professor, University of Iowa College of Law.

The Yale Law School Experience I firmly believe that law school is largely a “credential” and that most of what one needs to know to practice law, especially in a transactional setting, one learns on the job. Yale was, for me, a time to think con- templatively about my priorities, my goals, my values, and what compromises I was and was not willing to make to meet the world’s definition of success. The “no grades” system certainly facilitates such self-awareness and reflection. At Yale I met and became friends with people from all walks of life, backgrounds, and cultures. I am a much more tolerant, open-minded, and thoughtful person than I was when I matriculated at Yale. I wouldn’t trade my time at Yale for any- thing.

Rewards…and Regrets My choice had Ally McBeal, a television series that debuted in 1997, offered a different take on the legal profession: more to do with life-style than with career, Calista Flockhart (left) portrayed a young single lawyer looking for personal and professional which is, I suspect, relatively unusual for a satisfaction. graduate of Yale Law School. I live with my family on an eighty-five-acre farm that is make at the nation’s largest and best kind of life you want to lead, the kind of an eighteen-minute commute from work. firms. We work fewer hours, we are less person you want to be, and the kind of In the past few years, I have spent my leveraged with associates, and our hourly community and world you want to live in. weekends planting more than 4,000 trees, rates are lower. This necessarily translates For some people, this means traditional restoring more than twenty acres to native into lesser profits per partner. However, “public interest” law. For others, it means prairie grasses and prairie wildflowers, the cost of living is lower, and I am of the government service. For me, it meant doing structural repairs to the old barns, opinion that society overestimates the cor- returning home to enrich my rather and building new ones. My practice is relation between increased income and modest community as best I can through rewarding and I have an opportunity daily increased happiness. charitable activities, active parenting, and to implement tax-sensitive estate planning My biggest dissatisfaction with the legal a balanced life. Y

Photograph by 20th Century Fox Television/Fotos International/Getty Images Images International/Getty Television/Fotos Fox Century 20th by Photograph and regularly to represent my clients in practice is the lack of a verifiable belief