By Kathleen Pearson

Welcome to a new series on YLB, An Interview with a Summer Associate Class.  For this 4-part series, I interviewed the summer class at Waller Lansden to see why they wanted to be an attorney, what makes a good attorney and what are the greatest challenges and opportunities facing the class of 2010.

1.  Why did you want to become an attorney?

• I am still attempting to answer that question for myself as I continue through the process of becoming an attorney. I think my number one reason for wanting to become an attorney was a desire to enter a profession where I would be challenged on a day-to-day basis.
• Becoming an attorney was just always something that I wanted to do as a child.  It was always there in the back of my mind. I've always viewed being a lawyer as a respectable profession where you could also make a difference.
• My original focus was not to be an attorney, but to be an investment banker. I quickly realized, however, that I was better suited to be an attorney. I enjoy the intellectual pursuit that the practice entails.  I enjoy the role of advisor, and helping clients with their problems. Also, I wanted a job that was "new every day". I wanted a job that would allow me to learn new things, and face new challenges, all the time. 
• I have always had a passion for the pursuit of justice and felt that being an attorney would be the most effective career to carry out that passion.