The Power of a Grand Gesture

Michael Griffie

Aug 11, 2021

Many years ago, I embarked on an ambitious journey that redefined my career. It started with a grand gesture. At the time, I just finished my fourth year as a high school English teacher and went to Colorado to visit family. I remember sitting in my grandmother’s bedroom one morning when I decided to take the first step to becoming a lawyer. Attending law school was something I always wanted to do but frankly was unsure how to turn that dream into a reality. But I knew there was no time like the present.

A few minutes of internet research led me to my answer. It was pretty straightforward that the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) was a prerequisite to gaining admission to an ABA accredited law school. So right there in my grandmother’s bedroom, I committed myself to taking the LSAT by enrolling in an LSAT prep course.

Boy was it expensive! The course’s fee was $1500—a significant sum for me on a teacher’s salary. While there was a mix of excitement and nervousness for what the future held, I recall having resolute pride of taking that first step. It is a feeling I will always remember. This grand gesture, that I made nearly fifteen years ago, set off a cascade of events that changed my life. I eventually went on to graduate law school and practice at a prominent law firm in Detroit in the years that followed, arguing cases before the Michigan Supreme Court and in Federal Courts.

For me, it all started with one grand gesture.

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