As the youngest of three children, my parents took a unique approach to resolving requests to do or have something. I had to present an argument as to why I should. Without knowing it my engineer father and nurse mother were shaping a lawyer.

During my senior year of college at the University of Richmond, I took a graduate level survey course of the different fields in psychology and was assigned to research and report on Forensic Psychology. I loved the field, which was still in its infancy. The preferred degree was actually two – a law degree (juris doctorate “JD”) and a PH.D. in psychology. I was accepted to Catholic University’s Master’s program in psychology and its law school.

I was told to complete the first year of law school before adding any psychology courses. Not a problem. I wasn’t going to be a lawyer, but could take a year of classes. The problem was I loved law school. Instead of becoming a forensic psychologist, I became a lawyer.