My First Job: Dennis Dunphy

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June 18, 2007

My First Job: Dennis Dunphy

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Dennis Dunphy

Now: attorney

Then: log peeler

Current position: Shareholder and litigator in the Seattle office of the law firm Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. His practice focuses on condemnation actions, construction and related risk management, and business lawsuits.

First job: After completing law school, I was looking for a job to make some money while studying for the bar exam. I ended up working as a log peeler in rural Montana for a summer. My job was to remove the bark from fallen trees so they could be used in log-home construction. I liked that it was part time. I thought it would allow me to keep my mind fresh, but the hard labor was exhausting.

Pay: Ten cents for each linear foot of bark peeled.

What I learned: It taught me I was not cut out for the rigors of log peeling. I also learned that you get paid for results. This was the best life lesson I could have gotten, and one that has carried over into my work as a litigator. I'm not paid by the foot anymore, but I know that my clients have retained me for value-added results – not for my time.

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