Page 20 - Dallas Vol 5 No 1

TIPS FROM THE TOP
Frank Stevenson
AALM: What is the best advice you received from a mentor g- ure?
Stevenson: My previous pastor told me: “Never let another person tell you who you are.” at statement invites myriad appli- cations. Lawyers – especially those working in the public sphere – experience criticism and accusation. Always pause long enough to evaluate the criticism. But if you conclude you are doing what is right, keep on doing it. Because if you alter your behavior to staunch unfounded criticism, you’re letting another person tell
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you who you are. Similarly, when you are working with or op- posed by lawyers acting uncivilly, it’s tempting to respond in kind. But, of course, you can’t. Because if you do, you’re letting another person tell you who you are.
AALM: What qualities do you believe separate a good attorney from an excellent attorney?
Stevenson: Good attorneys are in the truest sense advisers. ey do more than present the law and lay out the risks, they rec- ommend a course to their clients. It’s tempting and cozy to just