I’m a CPA and have been a Controller/CFO for over 30 years. I’ve learned a lot about accounting, tax, budgeting and M&A, valuations and damage calculations as an expert witness. I work on a huge variety of cases-everything from the largest personal bankruptcy in US history ($500 million at the time) to forensic and some deal with IP or divorce. I’ve been on 6 small public company boards-have raised money, done IPO’s (or DPO’s) and done over 100 reviews/audits. I’ve worked with clients in many industries and various countries around the world. Recently an engagement came from the Supreme Court (of Sri Lanka). I was appointed as an Accounting referee for a court and have published various articles and presented on many topics.
So why did I chose to go to law school in recent years? Some was personal-concern over my career, and the state of affairs in the US and the world. And some was business-I thought I had already learned a lot about the law as a result of being an expert witness and going through the litigation process multiple times. This would potentially give me a head-start in furthering my education.
I took a sample law school multiple choice test and did ok without having any formal legal training, other than a business law class years ago. After my mother died and I had a son I decided to take the plunge as the next chapter in my life. I underestimated some of the workload but am now in the homestretch, and will also take the Bar exam next year.
There have been several skills that I have honed-reading/writing, analytical thinking, looking at both sides of disputes, how to issue spot. I believe it will help my credibility as an expert to also be a JD, which I should achieve early in 2022.
Do I need to know rule against perpetuities or reciprocal negative easement? Probably not after the Bar exam. But I did get the highest score in Contracts and I believe in Property-so I must have understood something!
What have I learned? First I took contracts/torts and criminal law and assorted introductory research/law classes. I learned the components of contracts, remedies for broken agreements and the like. I learned about oral contracts and damages. We learned about negligence and intentional torts, about crimes against the person and property.
I learned Wills & Trusts for the first time, and what ethical considerations/disclosures/conflict of interests and various relationships that occur in Professional Responsibility. Likewise I passed the MPRE and Moral Character determination. In Community Property we discussed marital assets and in Business I expanded my knowledge of proxies, agency and the like. In Civil Procedure I learned how lawsuits are supposed to proceed, with jurisdiction, discovery, pleadings etc. And in Constitutional law we’re learning state vs federal and the branches and individual rights. Finally, in Evidence topics such as relevance, hearsay and objections.
I look forward to how all of this knowledge will help me in analyzing cases in the future.