The Interview

A few weeks ago I had to go to an interview with two attorneys from the county in which I live so that they could investigate my character and fitness for being an attorney. They had been given my information by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners in advance, so they had plenty of time to review my history in depth. Just imagine that you had to write down every bad thing you had ever done, and then two old men get to quiz you on it. Even still, I didn't think it would be that bad because I was known around Ashland City and had interned with the DA's office, and a friend of mine said that hers was a breeze - five minutes in and out.

So I sat down at the table and the old man on the left said, "Ms. Sherbert, why don't you ever pay your bills on time?"

Wow. Off to a great start. I explained that I had been in school for 10 years and paying tuition on top of household bills and that my husband works construction, which can't be relied on, especially during the last year and a half. The attorney said, "So, are you saying that the recession put you in this position?" I replied, "Oh, no, sir. I have been late on bills for years. The recession just finished it off." He said, "So you think getting a law license is just going to solve all your problems and that your inability to pay your bills will just disappear?" I said, "Well, yes, sir, I do. This is not a lifestyle problem. This is an income problem."

I then had to explain the circumstances under which I left my last job, which weren't good.

Then the attorney said, "Ms. Sherbert, we have spoken to three people from your file at length, and they all have remarked on your intelligence and work ethic. They have all said, though, that you have one problem - your husband. They said he keeps you on a tight leash and that you'd be a better attorney and make more money if you didn't have him. Is there any truth to that?"

I took a breath and thought of Oprah. I remembered her saying once that she decided early on that she would NEVER cry in a business meeting, even if it meant she had to stomp on her toe with her own high heel shoe.

"Yes. I would make more money and be a better attorney without my husband, but he is my husband, he is the father of my children. I am committed to him and our marriage. Who wouldn't make more money and be a better employee without a husband or a family? So if having a family means that I lose out on income or clients, I'm ok with that. Whoever said that about my husband has a worldly view of the situation where money is valued more than relationships. I, on the other hand, have a heavenly perspective where relationships come far ahead of money."

At this point I didn't know how they would take that answer, but it was the truth. I could have chosen any number of responses - turn against my husband and agree that he was baggage keeping me from great riches, act indignant and refuse to answer the question claiming a right to privacy, run from the room crying.

Many people to whom I have told this story have said they would have been indignant. I rarely feel that way about my life. I feel that God has given me these opportunities and experiences so that I can share them with others. They can feel comforted to know that there is someone who has gone through the same things, or, at the very least, they can walk away and feel thankful that their life isn't as crazy as mine! Also, I am excited by any opportunity to pledge allegiance to my family and husband. It's kind of like I'm allowed to talk about my sister, but don't you dare talk about my sister.

After I told these two attorneys how I felt about my family's impact on my career, the older attorney who had been doing the questioning said, "You know, when I was a child my mother and father fought like cats and dogs. I look back on it now as an adult and I know I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I would not have wanted them to be apart."

Then the other attorney who had been mostly silent this whole time leaned forward and said with conviction, "And really, it's nobody's business anyway."

And that was that. They said they would recommend that I be admitted to the practice of law and that if I ever needed anything, just call and they would do what they could to help out.

At the moment the attorney asked the question, I thought this might be the worst thing I had had to endure for a law license. Today, though, I look back on it and think it was actually the most positive thing that happened. I left the interview feeling uplifted and thankful. God has given me a really great family, even with its idiosyncrasies, and the ability to think under pressure, to come up with a thoughtful, honest statement of my life. He had also sent these two little, old attorneys to interview me (instead of the cookie cutter interviewer my friend had gotten in Metro) so that I could get some perspective and appreciation for what I have.