My name is Steven DeBosier, one of the three partners at Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers. I want to introduce myself and talk about something near and dear to my heart: why being a lawyer is so important to me. Unlike most, my parents actually worried when I told them I wanted to attend law school — I suppose it made sense in context.
I grew up in Baton Rouge and am the youngest of seven kids. All my older siblings have become engineers, in large part because my dad was so adamant about us going into engineering. But even as a kid, I was better at debate than anything else. I was excited when I realized how that skill can help people, so I’ve known since high school that I wanted to become a lawyer.
But my parents didn’t want me to study pre-law or political science. As a civil engineer and architect, my dad thought law couldn’t be as promisingly steady as an engineering degree. I didn’t want to upset them, but at the same time, I knew I could do anything once I had an engineering degree. So, I went on to college and studied Engineering.
After completing my undergrad, I picked up bartending as I attended law school. I’ve always enjoyed interacting with people, so it was the best job I could’ve had while attending school.
I don’t regret the path I took in the slightest. I tell my kids this often: when you wake up in the morning, get ready, drive to work, stay at work, and drive home, you spend a minimum of half your waking hours doing your job. If you dislike your job, you dislike half your life. I knew sticking to my expertise with debate and people would pay off, and I’ve been able to do what I love every day – fight for those who don’t have the resources to fight for themselves.
My intuition about people did reveal something important to me that law school didn’t teach: jury psychology. It doesn’t matter what kind of argument you make if you can’t effectively prove your point is the correct one. As a former defense lawyer, I know what insurance companies will do to protect themselves, but if you can present the facts of your case and get the jury on your side, then corporations can’t use a lot of their tricks. Jury psychology can change your entire outlook in court and make your stance far more empowering to your case.
Psychology is both fascinating and revealing in a courtroom. For example, you have to wonder as a lawyer, even if you’re not up against an insurance company: why would someone sit for two minutes in their car to come up with what happened rather than tell the truth?
While my specialty is courtroom litigation and I’m constantly learning more, I feel incredibly privileged to work with all the talented, intelligent folks at Dudley DeBosier. I did a lot of work between law school and coming to the firm that would become Dudley DeBosier, but one of the most important things is this: I’m so glad I met my partners, Chad and James.
They’re my two best friends. Chad is the ultimate guy at what he does. He can read an entire book at lunch and tell me all the information I need to know from it. He’s like my personal Cliff Notes. Then, there’s James. Not only is James great at litigation, but he’s also a caring, loving family-man. We each have our roles, and James’ role is litigation and hugging. There isn’t anyone who gets away without a James hug. It’s a great dynamic, and the friendship doesn’t stop there. We spend hours on end hanging out with each other and our families, even outside of work.
Engineering still has a unique influence on my perspective of law. There’s a lot of science involved in car wrecks, for example. But the biggest advantages I have at Dudley DeBosier are the amazing people I work with and my perspective of the court. We give consultations to hundreds of other firms, professionals and individuals across the nation that trust our expertise. I sure hope you don’t – but should you ever need an attorney – I hope you’ll let my closest friends and I take care of you.