Hollywood v. Reality
OSU alumni deliver their verdict
By Sharra Martin, Broken Arrow, Okla.
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Viewers of the ABC drama "Boston Legal" might believe being an attorney is simply having the corner office, high-profile cases in a courtroom and cocktails at lunch.
The key word is "drama."
In reality, an attorney's life is not like Hollywood, and at least three Oklahoma State University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources alumni can attest to that fact: Kaleb Hennigh, Shannon Ferrell and Jennifer (Marty) Gray.
Kaleb Hennigh
Alumnus Kaleb Hennigh is an attorney at the Henry Law Firm in Fayetteville, Ark.
Hennigh was introduced to the firm while he attended the University of Arkansas School of Law. He has practiced law at the firm since July 2005 and devotes his time to agricultural bankruptcy cases in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
"I spend several hours a day talking to clients and other attorneys," he said. "I am also busy drafting pleadings and preparing for hearings."
Hennigh graduated from OSU with a bachelor's in agricultural communications and a minor in agricultural economics in the fall of 2000.
He received his juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 2003, and then he completed his master's in agricultural law at the University of Arkansas.
Hennigh said he works an average of 10 to 12 hours a day, and every day he uses skills he acquired during his tenure at OSU.
"The most important thing I received from the agricultural communications program was the ability to effectively communicate both written and verbally," Hennigh said.
Hennigh said the most beneficial activity he participated in during law school was the two semesters he spent in the legal clinic.
According to the OU College of Law, the legal clinic provides students the opportunity to represent clients and handle every aspect of the case under the direct supervision of one of the clinic's experienced lawyers.
"Client interaction, courtroom experience and basic office procedures are often neglected during law school," Hennigh said. "I gained a better understanding of the functionality and procedures in preparing a case from beginning to end."
Shannon Ferrell
Fellow OSU alumnus Shannon Ferrell has practiced environmental law at the Hall Estill Law Firm since November 2005 and shares his time between the firm's Tulsa and Oklahoma City offices. In addition, he teaches AGEC 4413: Agricultural Law at OSU as an adjunct professor.
"When corporations are planning projects, we research regulations that might apply to them and then help the companies come up with a plan to accommodate their needs," Ferrell said.
Ferrell said a typical week could include several projects, including working on internal environmental auditing for companies or assisting agencies and clients with environmental regulations.
"I normally have at least five projects going on at one time," Ferrell said. "Obviously, some are more important than others."
Ferrell graduated with his juris doctorate in 2003 from the Oklahoma City University School of Law, having earned his bachelor's in agribusiness in 1998 and master's in agricultural economics in 2001 from OSU.
After an internship at the McKinney and Stringer Law Firm in Oklahoma City in the summer of 2001, Ferrell worked full time for the firm during his last two years of law school.
Ferrell said working for the firm during law school helped him to apply what he had learned and emphasized the necessity for time-management skills.
"I was able to see the big picture," he said. "I could see how what I was learning fit into the practice of law."
During his time at OCU, Ferrell and several students who shared a background in agriculture formed the Agricultural Law Association.
"The purpose of the Agricultural Law Association is to inform people about the issues and opportunities in agricultural law," Ferrell said.
Ferrell also was involved in the Student Government Association and the Christian Legal Society.
"Law school is extremely overwhelming, and the Christian Legal Society provided a place for law students to meet and have contact with faith," Ferrell said.
Jennifer (Marty) Gray
OSU alumna Jennifer (Marty) Gray is an attorney at the Watkins Law Office in Rogers, Ark., and agreed with Hennigh and Ferrell in that there is no such thing as a normal day for a lawyer.
Gray graduated with a bachelor's in agricultural communications from OSU in 1998 and received her juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas in 2001.
"I am usually at the office between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning," Gray said. "I try to answer my e-mails before the phone starts ringing and we open the doors."
Gray said the rest of the day is filled with preparing documents, returning phone calls and planning for the occasional court hearing.
"I am in court maybe two or three days a month, and these are mainly preliminary hearings," Gray said.
Gray's case load includes consumer and commercial collections, contracts, estate planning and personal injury cases.
Beginning their legal careers
"I was not always certain what I wanted to do [for a career]," Hennigh said, "but I knew I wanted to stay involved in agriculture."
Ferrell said he imagined himself being a corporate attorney because of his background in business and economics. However, the firm he interned with hired Ferrell to work in its environmental law department.
"My agricultural background in science helped with environmental law and gave me analytical skills," Ferrell said.
As a youth, Gray was interested in medicine, science and the law. Gray said she basically flipped a coin to decide whether to go to law or medical school.
"The writing skills I gained [while a student in the agricultural communications program at OSU] best suited me to go to law school," Gray said.
Unlike the attorneys on "Boston Legal" who seem to be in court every Tuesday night, these three attorneys said the courtroom is not as common as many might believe.
"When I started working for the firm, I realized it is not all about the courtroom," Gray said. "There is so much more to the practice of law."
Ferrell said less than 5 percent of environmental law cases will actually see a courtroom.
"I have practiced law for three years and have never been in a courtroom," Ferrell said.
Preparation for law school
Hennigh said the internships and coursework required in the agricultural communications program were definite advantages for his law career.
"Going through internships helps you to communicate verbally with others in a work environment," Hennigh said. "You also have to learn to relay to an audience that knows little or nothing about the subject.
"The majority of the classes you take as an agricultural communications major helps you learn to find the most important facts," he said.
Ferrell said strong communication skills gained from leadership activities are beneficial for a law career.
"If you cannot communicate clearly and effectively, it does not do anyone any good," Ferrell said. "You have to read between the lines; not everything is black and white."
Hennigh and Ferrell both stressed the importance of time-management skills to help balance their family life with their demanding legal careers.
"You try to be as efficient as you can be while you are at the office," Ferrell said. "I also catch up with my family on the commute home."
Hennigh brings "family time" to the office when long hours are required for preparing for hearings and important examinations.
"During those evenings I am working through the night, my wife will deliver dinner to the office so that we can discuss the day's events and stay actively involved in each other's lives," Hennigh said.
And that is the reality of life for an attorney, doing what they need to do to get the job done in the office, the courtroom and at home. It's not a TV drama … it's better.
