I earned a business degree in college and spent more than 10 years in the business world before returning to law school. I was the third-oldest person in my law school class, which gave me a unique perspective on the law school experience. During my business career, which I spent in manufacturing, sales and distribution, I lived and worked in the United States, Italy, Thailand and Denmark. I have traveled all over the world, for business and for pleasure. I believe that two of my strengths are my judgment—on legal matters and on business matters—and my patience. When meeting new people in a social setting and talking with them for a while before telling them what I do for a living, I often hear, “You don’t seem like a typical lawyer.” I take that as a compliment. I became an attorney because my de facto mindset is, “What is the problem, and how can it be avoided or favorably resolved?” I think of the practice of law as primarily an exercise in avoiding problems, when possible, and solving them, when they inevitably occur.