LAWYER LIMELIGHT: COURTNEY SCOBIE

Ajamie associate Courtney D. Scobie discusses her career path and current practice as a commercial litigator.

Position: Associate

Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Copyright Infringement and Trade Secret, Class Action, Crude Oil and Natural Gas Liquids Markets, Contract and Insurance, Product Liability and Toxic Tort Litigation, and FCRA disputes

Location: Houston

Law School: J.D., Georgetown University, 2004

Undergraduate: B.A., University of Texas, 1999 with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa

Quotable, on advice to current law students: "I wish I had never taken my class notes on my laptop. I got my best grades during the semester when my laptop died, probably because I was forced to listen to what my professors were saying rather than just transcribing every word that came out of their mouths. This also holds true for when you’re interviewing clients and witnesses."

Lawdragon: How do you describe to recruits or family what it is you do?

Courtney D. Scobie: I am a commercial litigator. I represent both plaintiffs and defendants in various business disputes.

LD: What do you like about your practice?

CS: The variety. Our firm represents both plaintiffs and defendants, businesses and individuals, and a wide array of industries.

LD: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve done as a lawyer?

CS: When I was a junior associate, I worked on a large national pro bono project, compiling a report on the government and charitable response to Hurricane Katrina. It was an interesting learning experience as a young lawyer because it helped me with my interviewing, research and writing skills. As a Houstonian, it made me proud of my city’s humanitarian contribution to this terrible disaster.

LD: Do you have any advice now for current law school students?

CS: I wish I had never taken my class notes on my laptop. I got my best grades during the semester when my laptop died, probably because I was forced to listen to what my professors were saying rather than just transcribing every word that came out of their mouths. This also holds true for when you’re interviewing clients and witnesses.

LD: Tell us about your career path.

CS: I started out of law school at a large, well-regarded international law firm and worked there for many years. While I am grateful for that opportunity and what I learned at my first firm, I am much happier with my current law practice. I have far more opportunities to manage cases and take leadership positions than I did at my previous firm.

LD: Do you have a favorite book or movie about the law or justice system?

CS: I’ll go with the clichéd answer and say To Kill a Mockingbird. I think every lawyer longs to have an Atticus Finch moment in his or her career. Lawyers are so often portrayed as villains in popular culture, it is refreshing to see a genuinely heroic lawyer in a book or movie.