Gerry Spence is a famous and successful trial lawyer. Many criminal-defense lawyers, myself included, admire his courtroom skills and accomplishments. It is precisely because he is a success that his blog post yesterday on his own rejection is so powerful:
I never was elected to any student body office. I was rejected by the Wyoming Bar because initially I failed the bar exam – the first honor student to do so. I was rejected by the people of Riverton for a judgeship and by the University of Wyoming as a law professor. The voters of Wyoming rejected me when I ran for the United States Congress. Publishers have rejected some of my books, which made me a better writer.
Was Gerry Spence’s legal career a failure? Absolutely not — few lawyers will achieve the level of success that he has achieved. We should never be too hard on ourselves for our failures and rejections … they are great gifts.
Great Point, are there any cases that stand out in your mind as excellent?