By Iris Lee
This November’s YES 2023 meeting featured the speaker Sarah Wariner, an accomplished business litigation lawyer with 134 litigation cases currently ongoing. She also praises an impressively diverse team of women and minorities. Her job is to represent a business from any lawsuits they encounter, and ensure the business comes to a favorable conclusion.
First, Wariner talked about the method of mediation. This is where a mediator listens to both side’s arguments and then proposes a solution. Second is arbitration, frequently used in international disputes. Neutral onlookers are hired in a private court to look over the argument. Third is settlement, most commonly used when a business is in the wrong. The goal from settlement is to pay an amount of money less than sued for while protecting the company’s reputation by not going to court.
Mrs. Wariner then went on to explain how she became a lawyer. In her highschool years, she was just like the rest of us, participating in extracurriculars such as choir and taking a rigorous course of APs. In college, she took a finance major which helped her in the future as a business litigation lawyer. Out of college, she worked in a bank- but that wasn’t her true calling. Ever since she was a little girl, she had wanted to be a lawyer. So, she decided to pursue her dreams and took the LSAT to get into law school. Mrs. Wariner revealed a few big tips at law school. First, she encourages students to go to a college near the law firm you want to work in. For example, Texas law firms usually only hire from Texas colleges, unless they have a special interest in you. Second, it’s important to pick a major that can give you the best grades. Lawyers aren’t really required to have a certain major, unless you are an independent property lawyer. Then, you are required to take a major relating to science. Third, internships starting after the summer of your first year are super important. They can help you decide what kind of lawyer suits you the best, or if even being a lawyer is your type of work. Starting after the second year is when internships get especially important, because firms usually begin giving offers to those who intern with them.
After these amazing tips, Mrs. Wariner gave us a look into her everyday life as an lawyer. In the early morning, she begins looking over new complaints against her company. Based on the complaints, she finds someone qualified to go to court for her. Then, she updates her company on the complaints, while communicating with stakeholders. Her company’s finance group will call her to figure out the amount of money spent on the case and make sure the auditors are happy. Later in the day, Mrs. Wariner meets with vendors boosting new technology like AI to make her job easier. Lastly, she meets with witnesses to collect facts and evidence for cases.
After Mrs. Wariner’s amazing speech, Andy Xu gave a presentation on the Frisco Art Walk and Run. It included a beautiful video full of vibrant pictures, a slideshow, and multiple other speakers who gave their first-hand experiences. Andy then introduced awards given out to families who participated and those who were in the top 5 for their division. The awards consisted of customized gradient YES water bottles, YES towels, and an assortment of plushies.
YES also wanted to present another event, Sharing Love Through Cards, whose goal is to send happiness and holiday cheer to seniors at the Silver Garden house with cards that YES member’s made themselves. Iris Lee made a presentation on how impactful each card could be to the seniors, citing pictures from last years events that truly made the senior’s holidays memorable for years to come. Then, YES member’s made cards with pre-prepared materials while Thanksgiving music played in the background.
In conclusion, November’s YES meeting was a truly eventful one. An amazing speaker, Sarah Wariner, gave YES member’s an unique perspective into her life as a lawyer, while giving valuable tips to those interested in being one. Events like the Frisco Art Walk and Run and Sharing Love Through Cards were showcased, and YES members left the meeting with new knowledge in both law and giving back to the community.
