This week in the Law School Insider we are bringing you Dennis Swan, CEO and President of Sparrow Hospital and Sparrow Health Systems in Lansing Michigan. Today we are speaking with Dennis Swan about his legal journey and how having a law degree has enhanced and extended his reach throughout his career in health care.
Dennis Swan had a strong desire to be an attorney from the beginning. He reached a point in his life when he would try and go to law school, and he decided to go to law school while working. He would work seven days a week while going to law school. He became good at time management. He was very disciplined about what he would learn each day. He would have a schedule that would allow him to be able to find success in his career and law school. You sacrifice reading for pleasure or watching movies for the short term to find long term success in the end.
Law school may not be for everyone but it is doable. If you have commitments or family you have to have conversations about this prior to starting. Your family needs to support you and you have to be resolute about this. You may even have to make some choices that will best aid you in getting through law school after speaking with your family.
For Dennis Swan he uses his legal education on a daily basis. He has to set up systems and be able to problem solve. The JD degree has allowed him to get to the root of a problem. He also stated that negotiations is a large part of the job as well as synthesizing large amounts of information. He also has found he has found that he has had to understand contracts, land negotiations, and more.
Originally, he thought he would be a consultant or practice law. When he came out he had these opportunituies
If you have a family, make sure that they are committed to law school as well as this will take pressure off of you. Also, make sure that you are able to network throughout your law school experiences. Finally, be willing to learn from others and know that the people that you are learning can teach you.
When it comes to networking, it first comes from the word "Yes." When you get an offer for an opportunity will you step up. you cannot phone these things in, you have to be present and active. You also have to step up and be a leader in the experiences that you have. Many people wait to long and lost
Each day plan, execute and know that it will not be done all at once. Take it slow and you will find success.
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