My career goal was to be an attorney... Mom was going to be my paralegal. I even went to Auburn and earned my BA in Political Science and Philosophy with minors in English, History and Business. (Yes over achiever I know). I even became a certified Paralegal with Mom.
Then I was given the opportunity to work for a Superior Court Judge in Dekalb County. And that did it. I interned with Judge Fuller who was a childhood friend of my mother's. I got to see FIRST hand what the legal system was like. I wasn't impressed. The final nail in the coffin was when Judge Fuller made me go spend time with a defense attorney - Mike Mears. He is apparently a big time dude in Atlanta. He is as against the Death Penalty as I am for it. First case I sat in on was the death penalty case for a man who killed a young woman (a teacher). Her car broke down and he and a couple of buddies stopped to "help." Instead they drove her around for several hours torturing her, raping her and trying to kill her (took them 3 times before they finally succeeded. Then they tossed her body out like she was trash. Mr. Mears was fighting for this waste of carbon and oxygen's life. He said it was too expensive to execute people.
I was aghast... I told him.. Really? Give me a shotgun and a couple of shells and I could take care of it quickly. :-) Then tax payers wouldn't have to pay for this loser's upkeep. I didn't see how execution was expensive. It was proven that the man was guilty. So, I told Mr. Mears that in my opinion when the guys killed that poor woman and violated her rights, he gave up all his rights as a human. I thought the junior attorney's there would absolutely die. He told me that executing this man was cruel. I remember replying again with "Really? What about what he did to the victim? Wasn't that cruel? What about her feelings? Was her life of any less value?". I told him that I had no respect for him and what he did and I didn't want a part of this. The jerk deserved to die. I would NEVER put the criminal above the victim and I was mortified that he could. I told him he was a much of a low life as the killer was.
At that point I left the table, left his office, went back to Judge Fuller and said I cannot do this. I am too pro prosecution. He laughed and tld me that I needed to see all sides. EVERYONE was entitled to representation. My 22 year old self just really struggled with it.
So I took the analytical skills I would have used as an attorney and had my career change before I had a career. I went into Business Analysis and Systems analysis. :-) At the end of the day, criminals didn't get off on technicalities and I didn't get stressed.
So my legal career was over before it started. I have been a Business analyst for almost 20 years and am as happy as a lark. Mr. Mears is still out there saving the scum of human kind. He looks really old and worn down. I think I made a wise decision! :-)