Chief of Civil Division, United States Attorney's Office

Name: Joan Humes

Major: social work/child psychology

Law School: University of Minnesota

Description of your job: Chief of Civil Division, United States Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota - all defensive and affirmative civil litigation where the United States is a party

Do you have any advice for students who are considering going to the same law school you did? It is an excellent law school if you are considering practicing in MN

Is there anything in particular that you did during your undergrad that benefited you more than anything else in getting through law school and/or transitioning into the legal profession? I went to undergrad more than 10 years before I went to law school, so the only advice I have is to make use of the many resources which teach you how to study and how to think

If you had a chance to go through law school all over again, is there anything you would do differently? no

Is being a lawyer what you expected it would be? Why or why not? Yes, it is an intellectually challenging and satisfying career

What is it like transitioning from being a law student to being a lawyer? It is hard to move from thinking of abstract situations, from thinking about the human impacts of decisions you make

Is there anything students should know about the legal profession before they decide to commit their life to it? It is demanding and consuming, it requires a love of research and a comfort level with public presentation. if you don't have a passion for that kind of work life, I would not recommend it.

What does a typical day look like for you as a lawyer? long hours, tons of reading, a lot of quick research on a wide range of issues, supervision of 11 attorneys who may be in trial or litigating a wide variety of issues, advising other federal agencies and individuals on legal issues

Do you have any final advice? Work hard, study hard; recognize that lawyering is a demanding profession.