Jim Vickaryous: ‘Whether we realize it or not, every lawyer is a professor of sorts. The very title of our degree, Juris Doctor, underscores this role. Clients come to lawyers seeking answers to questions they cannot resolve on their own. Sometimes, they come to confirm answers they suspect but are unsure about. In every interaction, we are entrusted not only to solve problems but also to educate, to clarify, and to empower those who rely on us.’

I talked for a half hour going over some arcane law with my client. This law had a confusing twist, and the convoluted clause was terribly important to her case. Blankly looking at me, she asked the exact same question again. Nothing I had just said had made any sense to her. I said in frustration: “Just trust me, it’s the law. It might not make a lot of sense, but we have to do it.” She was a wonderful client and trustingly took my advice. But I realized my explanation wasn’t connecting with her. I had been speaking as though I were talking to another lawyer, forgetting that she had not gone to law school or practiced law. A lawyer’s duty to communicate clearly with a client was something she deserved, and I reminded myself to slow down and explain the law in a way she could truly understand. I focused on teaching the law, not just reciting my knowledge of it.

Indeed, teaching connotes that the recipient actually learns from the teacher. If there is no learning, there has been no teaching. Teaching is a cornerstone of the legal profession. Whether we realize it or not, every lawyer is a professor of sorts. The very title of our degree, Juris Doctor, underscores this role. Clients come to lawyers seeking answers to questions they cannot resolve on their own. Sometimes, they come to confirm answers they suspect but are unsure about. In every interaction, we are entrusted not only to solve problems but also to educate, to clarify, and to empower those who rely on us.

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