The American Bar Association’s recently published book, “Defining Moments: Insights Into the Lawyer’s Soul” by Melanie Bragg, includes 42 inspiring essays told by accomplished lawyers whose success has been driven by their moments of truth. Bragg thoughtfully interviewed lawyers from all walks of life and different practice settings to discover the critical moments that motivated them to broaden their horizons and pursue a career in law.
This practical manual is organized into Bragg’s original leadership model “LEAD lines,” consisting of Legacy, Excellence, Authenticity and Determination. Bragg found that each lawyer has a success principle that he or she lives by. The essays included in the book are told by a diverse group of lawyers – past ABA presidents, judges, big firm lawyers, small firm lawyers and non-practicing lawyers – but they all attribute their ultimate success to the defining moments that shifted their worlds. Readers can flip through the pages to learn invaluable life lessons, such as “Surround Yourself with Good People and Good Things Will Happen” and “Use Your Past to Shape Your Future.”
Bragg is a general civil practitioner with an emphasis on probate, family, small business and mediation/arbitration at Bragg Law PC in Houston. She is known as a fierce advocate in her representation of children, the elderly and the mentally disadvantaged. Bragg is the author of “Crosstown Park,” an Alex Stockton legal thriller. Her first book was “HIPAA for the General Practitioner” published by the ABA. She is a frequent motivational speaker with interactive workshops for a variety of audiences.
“Defining Moments: Insights Into the Lawyer’s Soul” costs $29.95 and can be ordered by calling 800-285-2221 or online at shopaba.org.
- Posted June 20, 2019
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
ABA book provides insights into the lawyer's soul
headlines Jackson County
- Michigan Law’s Child Welfare Appellate Clinic marks a significant win on housing at State Court of Appeals
- U-M engineering grad eyes a career in patent law
- ABA: Lawyer’s duties should not mislead when acting as a third-party mediator
- New State Bar ethics opinion offers stipulations for judicial officers
- ‘JAEPC Meeting’
headlines National
- Why state bars are struggling to keep pace with AI in legal practice
- The legal tech stories that defined 2025
- Federal budgets would further hit access to disability lawyers, advocates say
- ABA task force assesses AI’s ‘opportunities and challenges’ in new report
- Attorney discovers secret ‘watch list’ for immigration lawyers
- Lawyer and animal activist creates pet memorial for the holidays




