Being interested in law, the interview I conducted was with a lawyer who works in the district attorneyÆs office in downtown Los Angeles, William Vincent. I wished to interview Mr. Vincent because of the dynamic, complex, and fast-paced environment of the Los Angeles District AttorneyÆs office.
My interview with Mr. Vincent taught me a great deal about my hoped for future occupation. A tough, experienced lawyer in the district attorneyÆs office in Los Angeles, Mr. Vincent has seen his fair share of criminals and won a number of significant prosecutions over the years. Formerly notorious for instances of police brutality, I asked Mr. Vincent what the L.A. D.A.Æs office has done since that time to combat this image. Mr. Vincent replied, ôWell, for one, the riots might never had happened had this office had a reputation for prosecuting officers accused of police brutality with a significant number of convictions. Then those who rioted might have seen the acquittal of the white officers involved as an outcome of the conservative venue in which it was tried. Instead, they viewed it as confirming their suspicions of racism in the justice system.ö
When I asked Mr. Vincent what he felt were the best qualities in a lawyer to ensure success in his or her career, he explained that there are many but a few qualities stand out and separate mediocre lawyers from top-notch successes. ôThere are approximately 850,000 trial lawyers in the U.S. IÆd say 5% to 10% of those possess the skills that separate them from the rest. Chief among these are doing oneÆs homework, interviewing all witnesses on both sides of the case, the ability to deliver an outstanding opening statement to the jury, and putting enough time into creating a unchallengeable and persuasive summation. Most lawyers who lose a case lose it based on one or more of these qualities that they lack or failed to perform.ö
At one point in the interview, I asked Mr. Vi...