In today's episode we speak with Szu Yu Chang from the Chang Law Firm and a graduate of Cooley Law School.
Szu Yu Chang came to the country at first because he had the idea that he wanted to be a Judge someday. In talking to people he began to understand what you had to do to get there, and that was to first become a lawyer. So he went to college and then to law school.
Before Szu Yu Chang was in law school he watched many of the law related television shows and that encouraged him to continue pursuing his dream to be a lawyer in his life. Now that he has been practicing for many years he has come to find that it is not the expensive cars that shows success, but you have to be someone who can go to bed every night calm and happy with what they have accomplished in the past day. Being a lawyer is a 24-7 profession.
Szu Yu Chang also came to find that consistent work ethic is key in law school. He found that he was able to challenge himself and push himself to the intellectual limit to make him feel like a qualified person ready to sit for the bar exam after law school.
In considering law schools Szu Yu Chang mentioned that location, accreditation and price are important but also he spoke about the importance of getting practical experience while in law school. In particular, he shared the story that while in law school he had a very rewarding experience being an extern in San Francisco and this helped him to formulate who he was and wanted to be in law school. This is a type of experience you want to make sure that you have in your own law school experience.
Szu Yu Chang said that if he could do anything different he would reach out and talk to someone about what to expect in law school, especially if you are looking to attend a law school outside of your area. This will help you to be more comfortable with the law school you choose and the law journey.
Szu Yu Chang stated that this is not a profession for someone that is only in it for a money. It is a profession for people looking for an intellectual challenge and to help other people and that should be the over-arching motivation for all future lawyers!
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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