A Harvard Graduate Who Works as a Trial Lawyer

Name: Tom Fraser

Major: Economics

Law School: Harvard

Description of your job: Trial lawyer specializing in business litigation and medical malpractice defense. Also active as arbitrator and mediator. Chair, Litigation Department at Fredrikson & Byron, a 170-lawyer firm in Minneapolis.

Do you have any advice for students who are considering going to the same law school you did? Get involved in a study group. Makes studying more efficient, effective, and fun. Get involved in extracurricular activies. See the fall leaves in Vermont and New Hampshire.

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? Yes, I didn't take classes considered to be pre-law because that is a waste of time and deprives you of the opportunity to take interesting classes.

If you had a chance to go through law school all over again, is there anything you would do differently? Get in a study group.

Is being a lawyer what you expected it would be? Why or why not? Didn't have defined expectations but in general, yes.

What is it like transitioning from being a law student to being a lawyer? Biggest difference is dealing with clients, who often can't tell a bad lawyer from a good lawyer and rely on good service and other indicators.

Is there anything students should know about the legal profession before they decide to commit their life to it? The legal profession is not a restrictive profession in the sense that it can be a platform for moving into business, consulting, teaching, government, politics, etc. So it is not a life sentence.

What does a typical day look like for you as a lawyer? Mostly office work, including review of documents and telephone calls. Spontaneous meetings with other lawyers in the firm. Court hearings once a week. A couple of trials a year. Serve as a mediator once a week; as an arbitrator, once a month.

Do you have any final advice? Enjoy college and do things beyond going to class, such as travel and extracurricular activities and organizations. Broaden your horizons. You have less and less freedom and free time as you get older.