Editor's Column

I TRIPLE-Dog-Dare Ya!
By: Kaylan Dunn

With the holidays upon us, it is easy to get swept up by the stresses that come with the hustle and bustle of the season.  With temperatures swinging from 80 degrees to 30 degrees in the span of a day, TSA lines stretching for hours, and deals that have to be closed by year’s end, you may feel like taking a line from Clark Griswold and saying “kiss my a$$, kiss his a$$, kiss your a$$. Happy Hanukkah!”  But instead of letting your inner Scrooge yell “Bah! Humbug!,” take a few minutes to reflect on all the good 2016 has brought to you as a lawyer. 

Perhaps you had an “ah ha” moment that saved your client big bucks or your first trial win.  Maybe you landed your in-house dream job or made partner at your firm.  It could be as simple as finally getting a draft back without that tough-grading partner’s red pen all over it! 

Whether you just passed the bar or are coming up on your elder years as a young attorney (eek!), little victories or big, we are all lucky to call ourselves Texas’s Young Lawyers.  So embrace tacky Christmas sweaters when the weather says wear shorts, nights on an air mattress at the in-law’s house, and awkward legal questions (in an area of the law you know virtually nothing about) from your wacky third cousin.  And if, after a long day at the office, you have the urge to tell the parking garage cashier, “keep the change, ya filthy animal,” remember the words of Buddy the Elf, “there’s room for everyone on the nice list.” 

Happy holidays to you and yours from TYLA, and here’s to a fantastic 2017!

Kaylan Dunn is an associate at Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP’s Houston office, where her practice focuses on commercial and fiduciary litigation.  She serves as a director on the board of TYLA, representing Houston.  She can be reached by email at kaylandunn@andrewskurth.com.