Skip to content

The First Year

The First Year

Susan and Angela are pleased to welcome their fellow attorney, Angela Terry, as Guest Blogger to reflect on her first year as a practicing attorney. 

Angela Terry
This week marks my one year anniversary as a practicing
attorney.  This time last year, I was
celebrating being sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court and
officially began my journey representing clients in their divorces. 

As I reflect on all that I’ve learned and accomplished in my
first year as a professional, the teachings that have been the most valuable to
me and that I treasure the most have not come from colleagues, judges or text
books.  They have come from my clients. 

As a new associate, I certainly faced fears, challenges and
uncertainties in my new profession.  What
if I don’t know all of the answers?  What
if I can’t secure the outcome my client is seeking?  What if my client loses custody?

Our clients, whether they are the spouse initiating or
responding to a divorce action, come to us at a crossroads in their lives,
where no part of their life remains untouched from the divorce.  From intimate and familial relationships, to
the time they spend with their children, to where they live and their financial
situation, every aspect of their life is being redefined. 

Like my clients, I, too, was embarking on an uncharted
journey.  Just as my clients experience
fear and uncertainty in proceeding with their divorce, I experienced similar
emotions of uncertainty, having never represented a client from the beginning
of a divorce to its conclusion. 

In our everyday lives, all of us experience these emotions,
whether it’s starting a new job, entering in to or ending a relationship,
having a child, or grieving the loss of a loved one. 

In this past year, while I may have had the answers to my
clients’ legal questions, it was my clients who taught me how to transition
through a time of uncertainty.  While
facing arguably one of the most devastating and challenging times of their
lives, my clients were able to teach me lessons that I applied in my own life
this past year.

            Seek
guidance from those with experience and knowledge.

            Do not be
afraid to let in support, you’ll need it. 

            Have faith
in yourself and trust your instincts. 
You have your own answers.

            Take each
day as it comes, focusing on what matters most.

            Recognize
and let go of what you can not control. 

I am honored that my clients trusted me and allowed me to assist
them in their transition, and I am forever grateful for their teachings during
mine.

Angela Terry

Archives