Page 12 - Phoenix Vol 11 No 3
P. 12
Catherine Jiang
AALM: What drew you to your ca- reer as an attorney?
Jiang: Born and raised in China, I wanted to become a scientist and Madam Curie was my ideal through- out my youth years. While studying physics in college, I was more and more drawn to social science and so- cial justice. So later I studied econom- ics in Britain, believing that a fair, just, and peaceful society is founded upon economic equality and mobility. I came to the United States 20 years ago with my husband, and a er stay- ing home for several years raising two children, I received my doctorate de- gree in economics. It was di cult to nd a job as I was either over quali- ed or under quali ed for most jobs. Naturally I thought about becoming a lawyer because the U.S. legal system was fascinating to me, meanwhile, I would be the one who gets to decide when to retire.
AALM: What was the greatest les- son you learned in law school? How do you apply that to your career to- day?
Jiang: ree years of law school was a challenge, but I immensely en- joyed. I o en tell my lawyer friends that law school for me was worth every penny and every minute spent because I knew nothing about law before I entered law school. All cases de ning U.S. legal system – Consti- tution, torts, contracts, criminal, im- migration, estate and trust cases, that most students learned before attend- ing law school, for me, were fresh and new. In comparison, the bar examina- tion right a er the three years of law school was relatively easy.
AALM: What experiences have
A Global Professional
taught you the most?
Jiang: Looking back at the years of
practice, all my academic background and experience of having lived in four di erent countries, have been a great asset in practicing law. In many situa- tions, I can establish rapport with cli- ents from di erent background quite easily, and identify a client’s legal needs e ciently.
AALM: Why did you decide to start your own practice?
Jiang: While still in law school, as a nontraditional student in many ways, I realized I would not be employable. I started reading books like “Hanging Out a Shingle,” and explored websites for those encouraging stories and set up law practice right away.
AALM: What decisions have you made that shaped your practice?
Jiang: ere have been three ma- jor decisions that I’ve made that have been the most important in my legal career. First one was being a summer intern in 1L. Rather than applying in the private sector or get a paid posi- tion, I chose to intern at Maricopa Superior Court. I had a great op- portunity to observe full trail cases, which later helped me to understand court procedures. e second im- portant decision was lling mentor- ship application on State Bar of Ari- zona website. Attorney and Judge Pro Tempore Debbie Weecks became my mentor. Ms. Weecks’ encouragement motivates me even today. She has
been a forever mentor for me and I have always turned to her for di cult questions. e third one was joining Arizona Asian American Bar Asso- ciation while attending law school and I have never le . I have been an AAABA board for last ve years and I learnt tremendously from many AAABA members. AAABA is a very collegial and warm organization. We support each other professionally, at- tend National Asian Paci c American Bar Association Conference together, and some of us have become personal friends.
AALM: What are your plans for your practice?
Jiang: My law rm moved to Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe recently. I have also been appointed as a legal li- aison for Arizona by Chinese Consul- ate in Los Angeles. With a more cen- trally located o ce, I hope there are more opportunities to grow my prac- tice and to better cater Asian commu- nities’ legal needs.
AALM: How has advancements in technology and an ever-global world a ected your career?
Jiang: e advancement of tech- nology has provided competitive edge for small and solo practitioners because the cost of accessing infor- mation and database critical for legal practice has become a ordable. Espe- cially for a lawyer like me who speaks Chinese and Korean, an ever-global world has created more opportunities for me to develop clientele.
Jiang Law Firm PLLC
1095 W Rio Salado Parkway Suite 103 Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 999-0294 www.thejianglaw.com
ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · PHOENIX· VOL. 11 NO. 3 12