>> My name is David Cooper.
I am an attorney.
I am practicing law in Nashville, Tennessee
and I'm here today to answer some questions
to maybe high school students
and kids in college.
>> David, what does your job entail?
Can you kind of bring us
into a typical day for you?
>> David Cooper: Sure, as an attorney,
of course I'm in private practice.
I've been in private practice now for close
to 15 years and I do a lot of civil litigation
which is lawsuits in court, people that
are seeking money damages, things like that
and I also do some criminal defense work
and that's primarily in Federal court
where I defend people that are
charged with crimes in Federal court.
>> David, without obviously giving names, if
you can, but can you maybe give us an example
of a recent case that you worked on or
maybe one that sticks out in your mind?
>> David Cooper: Sure, I've got one
right now that's going to trial,
actually two that are going to trial
later in February and in March.
One's a civil case where I represent a
lady and her allegations are that she feels
like she's being retaliated against in
her job working for the metro government
and so we're going to go to
trial on that in Federal court.
And then one week later, still in Federal
court, I've got a gentleman I'm representing.
He's been charged with a drug case.
He had a lot of drug cases in Federal
court so I'm going to be defending him.
>> David, can you touch on maybe the skills
that it takes to be good at what you do,
maybe the personality traits that you think
would be a good fit for a job like this?
>> David Cooper: I think one
of the best things as far
as a personality trait is the ability to listen.
Obviously being able to speak
and communicate is very important
to be an attorney but also to be able to listen.
We take a lot of depositions in the work
that I do, try to get statements from people
and so we really need to be able to hone in and
listen to what the person is saying to be able
to ask the next question or next
series of questions and also just try
to have some good people skills, be positive,
be friendly, be courteous, things like that.
>> Those are all good pieces of advice.
Obviously law school is a step that
needs to happen to do what you do.
If I'm a young person, is there anything I
can do to sort of prepare you know outside
of just going to law school,
which I know is a big part of it?
Anything you would tell them in terms
of just to get ready for this job?
>> David Cooper: If I had to do it all over
again I would have more of an emphasis in school
on English, being able to certainly
read but to be able to write.
A lot of the stuff we do is printed word.
Being able to use a laptop and being
able to write briefs and legal papers
and so like I said, if I had it to do all
over again I would really like to have more
of an English background
and really hone in on that.
>> That's a great point.
How about just you know tell us a little bit
about why you do it, what you like about it
and then also maybe some of
the challenges of the job.
>> David Cooper: Well I guess the
challenges, and it seems like this is more
in the last few years, the legal practice
has become somewhat difficult because of some
of the other lawyers you have to deal with.
I know early on in my practice it seemed to be
more congenial amongst the lawyers and it seems
to have gotten a little bit
away from that over the years.
It's still fun.
I still enjoy getting up
every day and going to work.
I enjoy helping people.
That's one of the neat things about this job
is you have the ability, especially if they're
in a legal situation, to be able to go into
court and help and that's kind of neat.
>> How about the hours, David,
travel involved, that sort of thing?
>> David Cooper: With what I used to do there
was a whole lot more travel going out of town.
Now I'm pretty much, my work is in the
middle Tennessee area so I have, oh every now
and then I'll have to travel overnight,
go somewhere, maybe take a deposition.
Sometimes I have to fly up to Cincinnati and
argue a case before the sixth circuit court
of appeals in Cincinnati but for the
most part the travel is pretty low.
>> And on a daily basis are you
really logging some long hours daily?
>> David Cooper: You know as much as I
want it to be, I'm a sole practitioner.
My hours are anywhere from probably 40
hours a week up to, if I've got a big trial,
maybe 60 or 70, depending on you know if
I have to come in here on the weekends.
But for the most part it's
coming in here at 8:00,
usually being gone by 5:00
or 6:00 in the evening.
>> Gotcha.
Any final thoughts you have for a young
person that may aspire to do what you do?
>> David Cooper: I think the practice of law
is one of the best professions you get into.
I put it right up there with the
practice of medicine, things like that.
I love what I do.
There's some days when it will get a
little tiring and a little challenging
but for the most part it's a
good profession to get into.
This recession, the last couple years I have
found that you're still able to maintain a job,
maintain employment, maintain a source
of income and that's been a good thing.
But I really enjoy what I do.
>> Fantastic.
David, thank you so much for talking to us.
>> David Cooper: You're most welcome.