Vermont Bar Journal, Vol. 40, No. 2 Spring 2014, Vol. 40, No. 1 | Page 30

by Gareth H. Caldbeck, Esq.

A Lawyer’s Gratitude: 5 Reasons to Become
a Trial Lawyer—All Between the Verdicts
When you’ve spent most of your adult
life as a trial lawyer you enjoy experiences—including relationships—that you don’t
reflect on at the time … because you’re
too busy being a trial lawyer. I have had a
chance now to reflect on my experiences,
my colleagues and my adversaries, and I’m
grateful for them. Verdicts are what you live
on, but memories are what you live for.
I want to share with you five reasons to
become a trial lawyer, all of which have left
me with memories that add to my life. I
want to share them with those of you who
are still at it, because I know that sometimes we don’t appreciate what we have.
Although my experiences stem from my
life as a trial lawyer, I’m sure they resemble
what takes place daily in your life—whether or not you are a trial lawyer. Whatever
the nature of your law practice, I hope that
my own reflections will help you appreciate
your own experiences.
There are more than five, of course, but
trial lawyers are busy—even those who are
just thinking of becoming a trial lawyer are
busy—so I’ve limited this list to five. Five
are enough to get you started on your own.
Here they are.
1. Clients

They become a purpose in your life. Not
every one, of course. But every once in a
while—you never know when—someone
will sit across from you in your office and
tell you his1 story. And it will be a story that
needs you, and one that you