By Carlie Masterson, Staff Writer
I write this after a week of evaluating where I am now, and where I truly want to be within the legal profession. Duquesne University School of Law lost an extraordinary alumna on October 12, 2016. Judge Debra A. Pezze,[1] a 1979 graduate, passed away just over two weeks ago. She has left behind not only a legacy, but also an impeccable example for all of us about to enter the profession of complete selfless devotion to others.
At age 62, Judge Pezze was in her 25th year of service to the Court of Common Pleas in Westmoreland County, and she previously served as a public defender. Her colleagues on the bench described her as not only brilliant, but also a woman who treated everyone — even criminal defendants — as a person of worth.[2] Her humble kindness also spread widely into the region as a devoted community member, amazing mother, and friend.
Provided the tremendous impact Judge Pezze had on so many lives, I began to think about how I am going to get to a place where my work becomes my passion, and how I am going to positively make a difference in whatever time I have on this Earth. As of now, this left me with two conclusions. First, what I had once considered long-term goals need to be pushed forward on my calendar. Second, I cannot settle if I do not feel I am where I need to be.
Passion is key. We all have something on our hearts that, for one reason or another, weighs heavier on ours than it does for others. For some, it is representation for juveniles in the criminal system; for others it is protecting animals; and for me, it is immigrant rights.
Whatever it is, pursue it! There is likely a reason that weight was placed on your heart. Even if you are unsure what it is now, but you were given an extraordinary ability to speak, to write, or to understand, that gift can be used in a manner that uplifts others — and in a way you can be proud of. Once we do that, our work really is not “work” anymore.
We will soon be forming a new generation of lawyers. That also means we will have the opportunity to redefine what success in the profession means. As of now, over 40,000 lawyers each year leave the profession, which also sees some of the highest rates of depression, alcoholism, and suicide.[3] It is also telling that public service lawyers experience greater happiness and professional fulfillment in their lives.[4]
So what do we want success to mean? Personally, when I look back on my life, I want “success” to mean that I positively affected as many lives as I could in the time that I had.
Sources
[1] http://www.post-gazette.com/news/obituaries/2016/10/13/Debra-A-Pezze-The-judges-judge-in-Westmoreland-County/stories/201610120199
[2] http://www.wtae.com/news/westmoreland-county-judge-debra-pezze-dies/42077308
[3] Richard Delgado, Recent Writing on Law and Happiness, 97 Iowa L. Rev. 913 (2012).
[4] Kate Artman, Redefining Success in the Legal Profession: A Leadership Roundtable, Fed. Law., September 2015, at 34.
