“I’m sure you’ve heard before, ‘You’d make a good lawyer,’” Taft attorney Josh Bass told a room of Open Doors Academy high school scholars. “That's probably like 2% of the time. The other 98% is getting to know people, listening to them, and helping them solve problems.”
As part of Open Doors Academy's Career and College Readiness program and our ongoing partnership with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, scholars met attorneys alongside professionals in business development, legal support, operations, and administration. They gained an inside look at the many careers – and people – that help a successful law firm serve its clients.
The conversation soon turned to the scholars themselves as they introduced themselves and shared their career aspirations. The room quickly filled with future nurses, doctors, automotive technicians, cosmetic chemists, and animators, each with a different destination in mind. Rather than focusing on one profession, the team’s advice centered on qualities that carry across every career: curiosity, communication, resilience, and a willingness to keep learning.
“Be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” associate attorney Khouloude Abboud encouraged the group. “You only keep growing by putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.”
Office Services Manager Danny Cosme spoke about something just as important: the people you choose to learn from.
“Sometimes you need to remember that people around you are not against you,” he said. “Take advantage of the good people around you. A lot of times they’re going to help you.”
No matter the profession, one lesson surfaced throughout the conversation: communication matters.
“You have to be a great communicator – writing, speaking, listening,” said Adrian Thompson, Partner-in-Charge of Taft’s Cleveland office. “All those are important skills.”
Experiences like this help scholars connect classroom learning with real workplaces and the people behind them. For many, the visit changed what they imagined life inside a law firm looked like. It also broadened their understanding of the many paths a career can take – and the confidence to begin imagining their own.
Open Doors Academy extends its sincere thanks to Adrian Thompson, Ronald D. Holman II, Josh Bass, Khouloude Abboud, Danny Cosme, Sophia Young, LaTessa Gray, Kamila Reyes, and the entire Taft team for investing in our scholars.
Photo credit: Paul Sabota
