As college football season nears, it's time to delve into some of the life lessons the sport has to teach us. A lot of the values and principles that carry these teams from one week of their season to the next are the same ones that make us better lawyers. They include:
Teamwork. It seems unnecessary to say that one can learn teamwork from a team sport. But there is something different about college football. Unlike the pros, there are no million-dollar contracts, no endorsement deals, no mega egos and no room for "I" or "me." To win on the field, all the players have to subjugate their interests to those of the team.
Likewise, to win at litigation you need to learn your role on the litigation team, learn what you're expected to contribute and learn how you can enhance the team and the play of your teammates - from the other attorneys, to the paralegals, to the staff, to even the client and the experts. Winning a case, like winning a football game, is a team effort. College football has taught me it's not all about me. In fact, it's not about me at all. In the end, the team wins. Or it loses. Not you.
Leadership. Watch any college game and listen to how often the announcers talk about a team's leaders - who the leaders are, how important strong leadership is, how you want a strong leader in the huddle running the offense and how leadership makes the difference between winning and losing. Just as teamwork is important - with everyone playing his or her role in a law firm - leadership is important to help others make the most of their talents and make the most of their role in the firm.
A leader doesn't have to be the best at everything. True leaders rarely are. They simply have to help others identify their strengths and help them develop those strengths. True leaders help others find where they can thrive in a team, organization or law firm, equip them to do so and help them maximize their contribution to the group. That's the difference between winning and losing on the field and the difference between winning and losing in the courtroom.
Passion. College players are excited to take the field. They run out of the tunnel screaming and yelling, run onto the field and are ready to give their all. They give everything on every play and keep pushing forward until the whistle blows. It comes down to one word - heart. With it, you can exceed your talent and your limitations and outplay and outsmart your opponent. Learn to tackle your cases with passion, and that heart will give you an enormous advantage over your opponent in the court room.
Commitment. Winning a national championship, or a conference championship or even one game for that matter requires commitment. It requires early mornings in the weight rooms, afternoons on the practice field, eating the right foods and watching countless of hours of game footage.
Likewise, becoming an impact lawyer takes time and commitment. It takes time going beyond the minimum of CLE credits and mandatory training and education. It takes time reviewing others' transcripts from depositions and trials, time to read books on cross-examination techniques and trial practice, time to read the advance sheets and legal periodicals and time to discuss with your colleagues best practices. To be the best takes commitment, and commitment means out working your opponent. When he's watching reruns tonight, you're reading that new case or law review article that is going to help you win next week's hearing.
Perseverance. There will be times when you will fail. You will lose hearings. Ask the wrong questions at deposition. Miss the mark on a motion or memorandum. Likewise, players may miss a tackle, or blow a coverage or trip and let a running back get by with the ball. The player who falls, though, gets up. He has another play to run and another and another. He sticks with it and learns from his mistakes. Learn from yours. Often, the skills you develop were born of mistakes that you felt defined you as inept. Let go of defining yourself by your failures and embrace them as tools of growth.
Talent. On a football team, everyone has a position and a team performs well when each player plays the position for which he is best suited. The person meant to play safety plays safety. The person best suited for quarterback plays quarterback. Likewise, as a lawyer, you need to learn what your strengths are and play to those strengths. Some lawyers are great orators. Some are great writers. Some are great rainmakers. Some are great leaders. You need to learn where your gifts and talents lie, develop them and use them to maximize your contribution to your firm and to your clients.
Risks. College football is exciting because college football coaches take more risks than pro coaches. They're more likely to go for it on fourth down, more likely to try a fake punt, more likely to throw the ball down the field and more likely to try a new and innovative play. Sometimes the risks payoff and sometimes they don't. But when they payoff, they generally payoff big. There is a time and a place to take risks in litigation. Granted, it can backfire. And risks should only be taken after consulting the client and the other players on the team. But there are times that they should be taken and taken with gusto.
Priorities. Every week, college football players have to take the field and face an opponent. What spectators forget to appreciate however, that in addition to the daily grind and dedication to football practice, they are full-time students. In fact, they are and should be students before they are football players. To balance school and football requires an ability to balance priorities. Likewise, we lawyers have priorities to juggle - working on our cases, being involved in our communities, assuming leadership roles in voluntary bar associations and most importantly, being active in and being a positive influence in our families. The first step is to appreciate that priorities can be juggled and then learning how to do so.
Belief. When a quarterback enters the huddle, the other players have to look at him and believe. They have to believe that the quarterback can march them down the field and enable them to score. And for the players to believe in the quarterback, the quarterback must first believe in himself.
You need to believe in yourself. You made it through college, and through law school, and took the bar exam and have paid your dues and have developed your skills and have evolved into a force with which to be reckoned. You have to believe that you can do the job and do it well. Because the others at your office and more importantly, your client, are in the huddle with you, and they're looking at you and they want to believe in you. But for them to believe you, you have to believe in yourself.
Read more on Frank Ramos' blog, Tips for Young Lawyers. Francisco "Frank" Ramos, Jr. is the administrative partner at Clarke Silverglate in Miami, Florida, where he practices in the areas of products liability, employment, commercial litigation, medical malpractice, class actions and general liability.
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