Appellate Attorney Lays Down The Law On Career Success
Chad Ruback wanted to go into the family business. His family had a retail store in Kansas City since 1908 but, due to some less than ideal situations, his family lost the store and he decided he wanted to help others who had been through similar situations. Ruback scored well on his SAT test and earned a national merit scholarship. He went to the University of Texas at Austin and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. The money he would have spent on his undergrad education, he saved and also worked extra jobs to pay for law school. He earned his J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University.
His first position out of law school was as an appellate briefing attorney working for the Fort Worth Court of Appeals. He has been an appellate attorney for 18 years and has had his own firm for 10 years. "Appellate cases are traditionally a mess but, I enjoy it. It is like solving a puzzle. In state trial courts, you may not know why a judge ruled the way he/she did. In the court of appeals, an opinion is drafted and a judge signs it. All parties know why they won or lost a case," said Ruback.
What would you tell someone who is considering returning to school?
"Do it sooner rather than later. Don't put it off any longer. There are people who have been thinking about it for years. You don't have to enroll with a full load or quit your job. Pick a class that sounds fun and 'get your feet wet.'"
What was the biggest challenge you faced when pursuing your degree?
"In law school, there was a tremendous amount of reading. I had to give up some of my personal reading interests to keep up with the required reading."
What was the biggest reward for earning the degree?
"After school, studying for the bar and once I got the good news that I had passed the bar, being able to represent clients and finally put all of my education to use was the biggest reward. I truly enjoy getting up and going to work every day and counseling my clients."
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com