By Irris Joyce Williams | January 10, 2020
Since my first year as a law student, I have wanted to find a work environment that values collaborative effort, preparedness, and learning opportunities. With the Rice Divorce Law, I have found just that. Under Memphis divorce and family law attorneys Larry Rice and Nick Rice’s guidance, law clerks learn how to prepare like experienced attorneys while gaining invaluable knowledge of divorce and family law.
As a new law clerk with Rice, Amundsen & Caperton, PLLC, I was eager to be a part of such a reputable Memphis divorce firm. However, I had no idea the amount of time, work, and sacrifice it took to have that reputation. The same effort that the attorneys of the Rice Law put into their clients, they put into the education of their law clerks. One piece of advice that Larry Rice gave us during a case strategy meeting was: The harder you work and the more prepared you are, the more luck you will have. This advice has been the foundation of every opportunity I have received here.
One way we prepare is with motion folders. These are red folders filled with case documents that the Rice Law carries on motion days. Each folder has a checklist that either a law clerk or paralegal has prepared, documenting the time and date each task has been completed for that motion. This summer, I prepared a folder for a motion to bifurcate. I completed each task on the checklist, except for one. The final task was to ensure that a brief in support of the motion had been drafted and filed. I asked the attorneys on the case about it and Larry Rice suggested that I draft the brief myself. Knowing that I had never drafted a brief like this, I reluctantly said yes. As I was drafting, I looked to other briefs for guidance. After many deep breaths and a panic or two, I churned out a final draft. After many proofreads, Mr. Rice signed it. This experience taught me how civil procedure works in practice. Making motion folders gave me the opportunity to draft a pleading based on real facts, instead of hypothetical facts given in a law school prompt. As part of the Rice Divorce Law, I learned thorough preparation through the team’s collaborative efforts and dedication to teaching opportunities and practical experience.
This blog is written by the law clerks and interns of Rice Law. They document their experience working with Memphis divorce lawyer Larry Rice and Memphis divorce lawyer Nick Rice, as well as other members of Rice Law. Rice Law represents clients in divorce and family law matters in Tennessee and Mississippi. We hope these blog posts will be interesting and show their evolution as they move towards being divorce and family lawyers. The statements in these posts should not be used as legal advice about divorce or family law.
Trying to use the aboutdivorce.com website as a substitute for a lawyer potentially sets you up for a disaster of epic proportions.
