Road to Resilience: Why Embracing Failure Matters

It is impossible to live a life without failure, and attorneys, who are just like everyone else, are not exempt from this reality. Overcoming failure is just as important as a person’s dedication to success. The Washington Lawyer spoke with Finnegan partner Esther Lim as she reflected on her journey of becoming a lawyer.

“I have heard time and time again from African American lawyers, Asian lawyers, and others who feel like there is no room for error, that they have to be better — not just equal — than their white male colleagues,” said Esther who is also the former D.C.Bar president (2018–2019). “That is a common occurrence. And we need to recognize that.”

When reflecting on her career, Esther said that she had her fair share of rejections. After graduating from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Esther wanted to join the intellectual property team at Finnegan.

“I applied to Finnegan and promptly received a rejection letter,” she remembered, “along with rejection letters from other large D.C. firms.” She finally got her foot in Finnegan’s door after a fellow alum introduced her to a senior partner at the firm, which led to job interviews and eventually an offer. “That experience taught me the power of resiliency and that it is okay to fail or receive a rejection,” she says. “But [it’s] not an indication of your worth and your value. I think we often conflate result with character or ability.”

Read “Road to Resilience: Why Embracing Failure Matters”