Chief Tax Officer at a Multinational Corporation

Name: Patrice Halbach

Major: History

Law School: University of Minnesota

Description of your job: Vice President, Taxation at Cargill, Incorporated. I'm the Chief Tax Officer of Cargill which is a multinational corporation. I supervise 120 tax lawyers and accountants in 20 countries and am responsible for all tax matters for the corporation.

Do you have any advice for students who are considering going to the same law school you did? Keep an open mind about what area you may want to practice in when you graduate. The world of a first year law student looks very different than that of a new lawyer. Even if you don't think you want to be a "business" lawyer, take the basics (taxation, corporations, securities regulation, antitrust). It makes you versatile and flexible and keeps your options open.

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? Developing excellent writing skills.

If you had a chance to go through law school all over again, is there anything you would do differently? I'd take my own advice above and ensure I had taken as many of the foundation courses as I could. I continually find myself surprised even 25 years out of law school the subject matter I find interesting once I delve in.

Is being a lawyer what you expected it would be? Why or why not? Yes and no. Yes because I do use the critical thinking skills I learned in law school on daily basis. No, because the practical, interpersonal side of practicing law was never discussed or taught and is equally critical to success as a lawyer.

What is it like transitioning from being a law student to being a lawyer? I believe the transition may vary depending on the nature of the first job. I went to work at a large law firm as an associate; it was also the firm at which I'd clerked. The first few months were an extension of being a law clerk. However, the bar got raised quickly and found the expectations very high indeed.

Is there anything students should know about the legal profession before they decide to commit their life to it? There is a lot of drudgery and unpleasantness intermingled with the intellectual highs. People don't generally come to lawyers unless they have a problem. You need to be comfortable shouldering other people's burdens. You should also be realistic about the amount of recognition and glory you're going to garner, even if you're successful. Much of the satisfaction is derived from taking pleasure in serving others and using your intellectual skills on a daily basis.

What does a typical day look like for you as a lawyer? My typical day isn't typical for all lawyers. I supervise a large staff and spend a significant amount of time on administrative, personnel and strategic issues for the tax function. As a new associate, I spent every day tackling old and new problems, answering phone inquiries from clients and fellow lawyers, writing memos, and drafting documents. Oh yes, and worrying about my billable hours.