Please explain your job: I handle the legal needs in North America for the Electronics Group of Magna International, Inc., the largest North American automotive supplier and one of the largest in the world.
When you were younger, what did you dream of being?: I wanted to be a lawyer since kindergarten.
What is the one thing that best prepared you for a legal career?: Hard work. For me, that meant planning far in advance—I started studying for the LSAT within 3 days of graduating high school, so I would not need to cram later. That got me into U of M. Then, I just worked very hard while at law school, taking advantage of every opportunity. That got me the jobs and the lifestyle I wanted.
Please offer one piece of advice or motivation for high school students interested in the legal field: High school may not seem important, but my parents (including my father, a Syrian immigrant), stressed the importance of taking things seriously. Treat your schooling, employment, family, and yourself with respect - if you do your very best, you will succeed. Pick friends carefully (quality definitely should be the priority over quantity), and avoid most of what other young people do (e.g., excessive partying or risky, foolish behavior), and avoid any impediments to strong mental health (e.g., toxic relationships, social media (in many cases), drugs, etc.).