Author’s Note
Welcome to Plain Good Sense — a space for thinking aloud about work, vocation, and what it means to live with purpose in a world that often rewards everything but.
This first essay, Mission Over Market, is where my own story begins. It’s about how I found meaning in the practice of law, why the system often feels broken, and what it might look like to rebuild it around service rather than status.
Thanks for reading. I’m glad you’re here.
— Christopher
Mission Over Market: Why I Became a Lawyer and What Comes Next
“Law school is a process of moral deformation.”
— a college professor of mine once said.He was right.
I didn’t go to law school to be a lawyer.
Now that might sound strange coming from someone who’s practiced law for almost a decade. But it’s true — I never wanted to be a lawyer.
Really, all I wanted was to be of service.
Before law school, I worked for a nonprofit arm at Baylor University, focused on ending hunger in Texas. A lofty goal, but one I could really sink my teeth into (pun intended). When that work brought me to the steps of the Capitol in Austin and the corridors of power in D.C., I fell in love with the power of advocacy - the work of instituting policies that could ease the lives of millions. At the time, lobbying seemed like the best path forward, and the most effective lobbyists I knew all had law degrees. So of course, I followed suit.
As life usually goes, despite my intentions, I eventually found myself actually practicing law: advising founders, helping startups raise capital, structuring real estate deals, and guiding clients through the chaos of launching or exiting a business.
Now I won’t pretend I love the practice of law itself (I don’t), but I’ve found walking with people through some of the most pivotal, hopeful moments in their lives holds real meaning.
Still, in my opinion, the profession itself is broken. I believe we’ve created a legal marketplace that has the ability to (at its worst) corrupt the soul. As my college professor once told me, “Law school is a process of moral deformation.” Too often, that holds true.
Our legal industry has become very effective at being efficient for itself and inefficient for its clients, those it serves. The market has reduced people to billable units: six-minute increments on a spreadsheet. And it rewards burnout by making partners out of those individuals willing to go above and beyond the standard 80-hour workweek. It seems to me it has commodified (billable) intellect and sacrificed virtue.
It’s no wonder so many lawyers feel disillusioned… It’s why I sometimes feel the same.
Throughout my journey - through law, investment banking, development, and advocacy - my faith has always been my compass. It keeps me going on days when I’d rather not. And most importantly, my faith reminds me of my purpose in life: namely, to serve. To serve my wife, my friends, my clients, and my community. That call to service is not theoretical; it’s a daily, sacred call to be of help to those who need it most.
As I look toward the future, then, one that could potentially include a run for public office, I carry this conviction with me: Service over status. Faith over fear. Mission over market.
There are real issues facing our society and its people — skyrocketing housing costs, a looming water crisis, a fraying social fabric. We need voices that understand policy but lead with principle. I hope to be one of them.
Because while I may have started this journey wanting to change the system from the outside, I now believe the only way forward is from within — through faith, service, and relentless hope.
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