(Below, an article written by attorney Amanda Hill, upcoming speaker at our 2nd annual Private Practice conference and previous speaker at our Private Practice’s 1st annual event.)
When I went into law school, I thought I knew exactly where I was headed. Glasses, black suits, federal courtrooms, briefs, a head full of ideas. Most of those dreams were likely arrogant. What I didn’t realize was that life had entirely different plans.
I had big dreams to be a United States Attorney and end up a Federal Judge. I wanted to prosecute white collar crime cases and stand up for justice. I did what all lawyers do if they want to succeed: got on law review, landed an internship with the state Supreme Court, let nothing stand in my way. I went to discount outlets to buy black suits and pretty black heels. I tied my blond hair back into sensible ponytails. And I used my ambition and natural privilege as far as they would take me.
But life rarely turns out as you expect. I had to move to a smaller town for my then-husband to attend law school, and I was frustrated. How would I maximize my dreams in this place? Determined to get a job with the federal government so I could eventually transfer to a “job I really wanted,” I applied for a position with the VA, defending several rural hospitals — a job for which I was not remotely qualified. The posting said it required at least ten years of experience. I was a hot-shot young upstart, just recently married, painting my new house and buying used furniture at Goodwill. But I applied anyway. Why not? What could they say but no?
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That became a mantra of my life: try it, see what happens. I didn’t get that job, of course. But they were curious enough about me to give me an interview. Little did I realize I still had dots of paint on my arm. They pointed it out, and I shrugged it off. They ended up hiring me for a job that wasn’t even posted — an entry-level role writing tort claim reports. I was thrilled to take it. I smiled a lot and wore those discount suits.
That launched my career head-first into defending physicians. My very first case involved a patient who came to the VA for a CT scan. The contrast dye leaked into his arm, causing swelling and pain and alleged carpal tunnel. Back then, there were no electronic medical records, so I poured over handwritten charts, deciphering doctors’ scratchy handwriting, and I threw myself into the case. Knowing me, I likely drafted a fifty-page argument about why the patient would lose. No one ever saw that report, and it was massive overkill. But I loved every minute of it.
It was that same first year of practicing law that I was diagnosed with cancer. Just a young woman heading into work one day with a retina detaching from a melanoma so large it had to be dealt with immediately. That changed everything. I could smell fear, and I didn’t feel so invincible anymore. But strangely, it also liberated me. I didn’t have any time to waste.
So I threw out the playbook. When I didn’t land a DOJ job, I pivoted and applied to be General Counsel for the largest multi-specialty group in my city. I got that job precisely because I was bold, promising to create trainings for physicians and take every call from unhappy patients. They said yes. From there I kept on working with doctors, one place after another, until ten years ago when I started my own practice. My mantra was that I wanted to be the “doctor’s lawyer” and I took on doctors no one else wanted to deal with.
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The Modern Allergy Course
Autonomy & Advocacy: A Medico-Legal Course for Clinicians
The Future of Physician Health: Leadership, Mental Health, and Career Advancement
2nd Annual Finances, Investing & Real Estate for Healthcare Professionals
Public Speaking, Communication, and Online Presenting (Ongoing)
3rd Annual Private Practice Course
2nd Annual Non-Clinical Careers Course
From Idea to Published: A Free Writing Course for Physicians
When the Road Turns, Follow It: Finding a Career I Never Planned For
From that day forward, I devoted my career to physicians. I became the wind beneath their wings, helping them soar in the same way they helped me survive after my diagnosis. Now they call me in crisis — when they don’t think they can go on, when they face insurmountable obstacles, or sometimes when they just need a contract drafted.
What I’ve learned is that your mission and purpose often look nothing like the plan you start with. I would have hated being a judge, looking back now. The lack of flexibility, the rigid schedule, the endless grind. My ADHD brain would never have thrived there. Instead, by building my own law firm after decades of helping doctors, I’ve created freedom. I can design online courses, travel the country giving speeches, and know I’m truly giving back.
We can all look at our younger selves and think: bless their hearts, they knew so little. But we can also see the crumbs along the way: the paint on our arms, the closed doors, the unexpected pivots. We we can realize we were forming our own path. Lean into that. Trust the journey. And find peace knowing you’re doing exactly what you were meant to do, even if it looks nothing like what you first imagined.
We can all look at our younger selves and think: bless their hearts, they knew so little. But we can also see the crumbs along the way: the paint on our arms, the closed doors, the unexpected pivots.
