Private Criminal Defense
Name: Derek Patrin
Major: International Relations, Chinese LanguageLaw School: Univ. of MN Law School
Description of your job:
Private criminal defense with focus on DWI defense. I spend everyday in
court somewhere, mostly all over the Twin Cities. Not much paperwork to
mess with, but enough legal issues to keep me on my toes. Also
appellate work, about 3 cases per year.
<>Do you have any advice for students who are considering going to the same law school you did?
I recommend the U of MN Law School to students no matter what practice
area you plan on going into. I actually changed my mind a couple of
times. The Moot Court program is strong and the facility is excellent.
There is also a great staff of professors. I still miss going to school
every once in a while, so that must mean I had fun.</>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? For undergrad,
really the only thing that I could see helping me was getting a good
enough GPA to get into the law school you want. The classwork didn't
really prepare me for law school courses at all. I don't think there
are any particular classes that are helpful, unless you want to go into
patent law. If that is the case, you need to have a science degree to
be a competitive hire.
If you had a chance to go through law school all over again, is there anything you would do differently?
I would not have worked during my first year, since it caused me to get
poor grades first year. That really hurt my chances for getting hired
by a large firm since they recruit so heavily based on first year
grades. First year is the key; if you do well then, you are almost
guaranteed a great job at a large firm, if that is your goal.
Is being a lawyer what you expected it would be? Why or why not?
Yes, it is. I had wanted to be a lawyer since the age of 13, and I am
the first in my family. Being a lawyer is not just a job, it's
something I am 24 hours a day every day. It changes your status, but I
am the first one to poke fun at myself and at the profession in
general. I did not like the big firm experience, it was like being in a
herd of cattle. I very much prefer the smaller firm setting, with more
independence.
What is it like transitioning from being a law student to being a lawyer?
For me it was easy, since I had been a law clerk for law firms while I
was in law school. The work was very similar, except now I didn't have
the excuse of homework to keep my employer at bay! It didn't really
feel any different until I started going to court regularly, which
didn't happen until I left my large firm environment and joined a small
firm.
Is there anything students should know about the legal profession before they decide to commit their life to it?
Like I said earlier, being a lawyer is something that is with you 24
hours a day, every day. It isn't for everyone. Sometimes I think it
would be nice to have a job that just allows you to punch in and out
and not take it home with you, but in the end I think this is more
rewarding.
What does a typical day look like for you as a lawyer?
I usually attend court appearances once or twice a day in different
courthouses. I spend a lot of time on the phone with clients at all
hours of the day. In between all of that, I have time to review police
reports and prepare motions, etc.
Do you have any final advice?
Being a lawyer is not hard, but being an excellent lawyer is very
challenging. Anyone can do it, no matter what your background, but if
your heart's not in it, you may not enjoy yourself very much.
