Remember that Counselor is Another Word for Lawyer: Get to Know Melinda Sarafa

Summary

Melinda Sarafa, the author of this article, reminds the readers that a "counselor' is another word for a "lawyer'. While these two words often get used interchangeably, they do not mean the same thing. To be a lawyer or an attorney, you must attend law school and pass the bar exam.


Lawyers can practice a variety of law such as tax law, contract law, and criminal law, while counselors are mainly used to help people manage their emotions and work through important personal decisions or anything involving relationships or family. Counselors are trained to provide people with empathy and support and to help them with interpersonal and social issues.

Lawyers, on the other hand, focus primarily on the legal aspects of a situation. They represent their clients in court and are responsible for making sure that the law is upheld and interpreted correctly. This includes researching and analyzing cases, advising clients on the best course of action and representing them in court.

Lawyers are also responsible for drafting legal documents that are binding and enforceable in the court of law. They use their knowledge of the law to ensure that clients receive their due rights and receive the best legal representation possible.

Although it is important to remember that counselors and lawyers are not the same, there are many similarities between the two professions. Both counselors and lawyers are expected to be strong communicators, to be able to think critically and act ethically. Both require good interpersonal skills and the ability to offer counsel and advice to clients.

At the end of the day, while counselors may be called "lawyers', lawyers are not counselors. It is important to remember that counselors provide a much-needed form of emotional and personal support, while lawyers provide legal support. So if you ever need legal help, make sure to seek out an attorney or lawyer.
 

Melinda Sarafa: What It Means to be a Counselor and a Lawyer

Melinda Sarafa is an attorney and counselor at law who has a passion for helping others. She is a respected member of the legal profession and a firm believer in making the law accessible to all. Sarafa worked in various capacities at the law firm of Harris, Wilensky, and Gertler, most recently as a senior partner. Through her work at the firm she has achieved great success in her practice and established a stellar reputation.

The term "counselor", when used to refer to an attorney, has a special meaning. It implies that the attorney has taken the extra step of seeking out and learning about their clients and the issues with which they are dealing. It also implies that their advice and guidance extends beyond just providing legal advice – they are taking an active role in helping their clients find solutions to their problems. Sarafa has always embodied this concept, as she often looks to identify and resolve her clients' problems before they require legal means.

From the start of her legal career, Sarafa has made sure to focus on bringing the law to her clients in an accessible and affordable way. She works to build relationships with them, helping them to understand their rights and their options. In her practice, Sarafa takes a holistic approach and is committed to assisting her clients on the full range of legal matters they may encounter. This approach has earned her recognition as an exceptionally skilled and compassionate attorney.

In addition to her legal practice, Sarafa provides counseling services to her clients. She has extensive experience in providing advice and guidance on a variety of topics, including personal finance, relationships, work-life balance, and other important matters. She also works to provide legal guidance, offering solutions to her clients' legal issues so that they may resolve them in a way satisfactory to all parties.
 

What It Means to Be a Counselor and a Lawyer According to Melinda Sarafa

Melinda Sarafa is an experienced attorney and counselor at law who is committed to providing effective and compassionate legal solutions to people in need. Her practice at Harris, Wilensky, and Gertler has allowed her to excel in her profession, as well as develop a strong reputation within the legal community. Sarafa sees the term "counselor" when it is used to refer to an attorney, to mean that the attorney has gone above and beyond in obtaining the necessary information from the client, and providing legal advice and support to find solutions to their legal issues. Sarafa's holistic approach to her practice includes working with her clients to understand their rights and available options, and utilizing her expertise in matters such as personal finance, work-life balance, and more.

<<"Understanding one's role as a counselor helps to ensure that lawyers really listen well to their clients and are able to focus on and respond to the clients' needs most effectively," said Sarafa, a 1995 graduate of Stanford Law School.

Q: How does one break into white-collar litigation?

A: I got into this line of work by starting out as assistant federal public defender in Houston. I was able to get that job by clerking at the federal defender's office during law school and subsequently doing two federal clerkships. Starting out either as a public defender or a prosecutor is probably the best way to get the kind of criminal law background that you need and the level of comfort you need in the courtroom to go on to white-collar criminal litigation.

Q: What are the differences between working for the government and a private firm?

A: When I switched from the federal defender work to private practice, I also switched jurisdictions, from Texas to New York. I dealt with both transitions at the same time. In New York, there are more securities fraud cases. You're also dealing with, in private practice, a different group of clients, namely clients who can afford to retain counsel. In Texas, I had, by definition, all low-income individuals. We had many, many immigration cases, firearms cases, bank robbery, small fraud cases. In New York and in the private sector doing white-collar litigation, you have individuals with professional backgrounds; the offenses tend to involve larger loss amounts. Often the stakes are higher in terms of the federal sentencing guidelines.

Q: What's your advice for new associates?

A: New associates should not be afraid to communicate with the partners and other lawyers in the firm, to ask questions even if they're concerned that they should already know the answer. Law is complex and ever-changing, and no one can be expected to know everything.

I would also say that associates really should look upon every assignment as an opportunity to become indispensable on a case. An assignment that may seem small or insignificant may nevertheless present a real opportunity to get ahold of the facts of a case or become the expert on a particular, perhaps critical, area of law in a case. So don't underestimate the opportunities that come across your desk.

Associates are sometimes reluctant to show as much intellectual curiosity or creative thinking as they may be capable of. That kind of contribution can be extremely valuable.

Q: What should law schools teach that they currently don't?

A: I've often thought that law schools do not sufficiently teach that lawyers are in fact counselors in the truest sense of the word. Lawyers acquire a great deal of knowledge in law school, which ultimately is for the purpose of providing professional advice to clients who either are in the midst of or on the verge of conflict.

Q: What's the biggest mistake an applicant can make when applying for a job?

A: One thing I find to be completely ineffective is sending out form cover letters. It's very important for somebody who's doing a job search to really think about the places they are most interested in working, research those places, and send cover letters and resumes that are specifically tailored to that job.

Q: What was your most humbling experience as a law s`xtudent or new attorney?

A: I found it incredibly challenging when I started working as a law clerk for a federal district court judge to realize I was suddenly in a position of having to come up with the "right answer" in a dispute when presented with motions to dismiss or motions for summary judgment. Obviously, the judge made the ultimate decision, but the law clerks had a tremendous amount of responsibility.

When I was with the federal defender's office, I was handling very, very serious cases, where people were facing, in some cases, mandatory minimums of 10 or 20 years in prison. Being aware of that responsibility is very sobering.

Q: How do you handle that stress and responsibility?

A: By taking advantage of all the resources at one's disposal to make sure that the fullest and most effective representation possible is being provided. That may mean consulting with other lawyers. I was fortunate to work in an office staffed by extraordinary lawyers with a lot of collective experience. This goes hand in hand with not being afraid to ask questions. One of the most dangerous things you can do is not ask questions.

Q: Who's your favorite lawyer in books, movies, or TV?

A: Katharine Hepburn played a lawyer in the movie "Adam's Rib." It's a comedy, but it's a great portrayal of fierce determination on the part of a defense lawyer.