People sometimes ask us, “Why did you decide to become a lawyer?” Most lawyers will tell you that they became lawyers to help people or to fight for justice. Some become lawyers expecting wealth and status. For some of us, our path was inspired by others.
I remember seeing “To Kill A Mockingbird” for the first time. Atticus Finch stood up for what was right even though that required a difficult and unpopular decision. He was a quiet hero. He was not wealthy. He was simply getting by, doing a job with understated dignity and grace. Atticus would likely tell you that his job as a father was far more important than his job as a lawyer. However, he considered what he did as a lawyer to be quite important. That perspective was more attractive to me than financial gain.
Stephanie’s father, Stephen R. Burch, was a traditional, southern gentleman attorney. He spoke with such enthusiasm about his law practice. He loved the fact that every day brought a new challenge. His passion for his profession was infectious. Stephanie and I worked with Pritchett, Cooke and Burch during our summers in law school and the first years of our practice. Steve instilled in us the value of providing quality services and behaving with professionalism and integrity. He greatly influenced the lawyers that we are today.
We recognize that you come to us seeking help, often at some of the most difficult times of your lives. We take that responsibility seriously. Our job is not to push our clients into the courtroom. Even though many potential clients initially believe they need to sue someone, we are careful to explain the costs, risks and uncertainty of litigation. What our clients truly need are solutions to problems. Sometimes the courtroom is that solution. But we will exhaust all other methods of dispute resolution before we take that step on your behalf. Let us work with you to help resolve your legal problems. Contact us if you want to know more about How We Work and whether we can help you.