I have only been in the legal profession for a short period of time. Yet, as a student and as a lawyer, I have already made my fair share of mistakes. Some small, some big. Some benign, and some just downright mortifying. Regardless of the type of mistake I make, I always react the same way: I fall down a dark rabbit hole where my mind replays my blunder for the next few days and chastises me to no end.
We all know that mistakes are common. They are an inevitable part of the human existence. No matter how hard we try to be perfect, a mistake can occur at an inopportune moment and ruin a good day. So why have I increasingly come to feel like mistakes are incompatible with the legal profession?
In my opinion, this distorted perception of mistakes stems from the nature of legal work and the personalities of people within the profession.
A mistake in the practice of law can have disastrous consequences. An undocumented person could be deported. A defendant could be wrongfully convicted. A parent could lose their child. The work we do affects individuals and communities. As a result, we are constantly forced to be aware of how our mistakes could have ramifications beyond ourselves.
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