This week in the Law School Insider I have the pleasure of bringing you Brian Blackham of Ghandi, Deeter & Blackham, a law firm in Nevada. Brian Blackham is a Nevada Certified Family Law Specialist with a broad range of experience in family law litigation, including contested divorce and custody matters, relocations of minor children, temporary protective orders, child support, alimony, and the division of marital assets and debts, and has achieved exemplary results for his clients in all of these areas.
Brian Blackham did not go right to law school, but instead went to law school after sitting out of his undergraduate school days for some time. He started to work as a courier in a law firm and began to build friendships and mentorships in this firm. Through these relationships he was inspired to go back to finish his undergraduate degree and then hos JD degree too.
When he got into law school he thought that he would do commercial real estate law as this was an area he was familiar with. However, during law school, he went through a divorce and in this situation he learned many things and he found that he really wanted to be help people with the really important issues in life which is something that family law deals with on a daily basis.
Brian Blackham mentioned that if you have an interest in working in family law you have to be able to wear the many hats that a family lawyer has to wear and deal with the emotional situations that come up in family law cases too. Also, in law school you will need to make sure to take certain courses such as family law, community property, The best way though is to get into a clinic or externiship that allows you to interact with clients to be able to hear and see everything that a family lawyer does. Not only will you be able to learn about the skills that you will need to master but also the laws and the rules that family law attorneys must follow too.
As mentioned earlier, Brian Blackham was an adult student going through law school, Looking back on law school now he said that you have to want it. You have to be willing to dive in and really get to know the cases and the reading and learn quickly how to apply this if you are to find success.
As you can tell, Brian Blackham had many stressors in law school. From school itself, to going through a divorce. Looking back on his experience he stressed that everyone should find a way to de-stress in law school. He stated that exercise was very important. Not only for the health benefits, but for the focus that it provides you too. He also mentioned the importance of eating right and getting enough sleep. Also, do your best to fall into the trap of relying on the substances to get you through law school as this is a very bad habit to fall into and it can lead you down a path that you cannot come bach from.
Now that Brian Blackham is in his professional career, he stated that finding mentors early on in your career is important. It is through mentors that you will learn invaluable insight into courts, judges and even other lawyers let alone skills that you need to find success for yourself.
Letting yourself clerk first for a firm that is doing what you want to do and even participating in pro bono legal work will open your eyes and your abilities to the legal world around you.
Did you like this interview? Do you have a question for Brian Blackham? Leave a comment below to let me know!
Are you a practicing lawyer? A law student? Would you like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of the Law School Insider? Send me an email at lawschoolinsider@cooley.edu