Alumnus Attorney Describes “Six Traits of Good Lawyers” for California Students

Alumnus attorney Andrew Emrich (’93) returned to the California campus last week to offer advice to students who hope to pursue careers in law or public policy.

In a presentation that covered topics ranging from choosing the right law school, to law-school admissions, and how to remain grounded as a lawyer, Mr. Emrich shared how, despite his early plans to enter criminal law, he made a career, first, in public service and, later, in representing corporate clients. “You can have a perfect idea of what your trajectory is going to be, and it may not turn out that way — and that’s fine,” he advised. “Sometimes those experiences you don’t expect and don’t chart out turn out to be the most valuable.”

A partner at Holland & Hart LLP in Denver, Mr. Emrich earned his juris doctor from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1996. He then went on to serve for four years as legislative counsel for Sen. Michael Enzi, followed by four more as counsel to the assistant attorney general at the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2005 he left public policy for private practice.

In the course of his discussion, Mr. Emrich outlined six “traits of good lawyers” — all of which happen to be among the common fruits of liberal education: integrity, good listening, problem-solving, good judgment, effective advocacy, and resilience. “You are getting one of the finest educations, really, in all of academia,” he said. “I practice in a field where many people went to the most prestigious schools in the United States, and I have found people much brighter than I am, to be sure, but I haven’t yet found any one who, I would say, had a much better formation than I did.”

As students plan their careers, Mr. Emrich urged, they should meditate over the words of Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you” — and consider the verse’s implications for both their spiritual and professional lives.

“As you are trying to discern your own profession and what steps you take to advance in it — all these other life choices — realize that you are here because the God of the universe intended you to be here from all eternity,” he advised. “You are willed to be here by the Creator of the universe, and that should give you some comfort. All these other things will work out. Make good choices and be prudent, but always keep that in mind.”