Over the summers and during breaks from school, I worked on roustabout gangs, servicing oilfield operations, replacing and repairing tank batteries, water heaters — you name it. I did my best to put that same work ethic I learned out on the oilfields to use in school, too.

After graduating from Texas Tech University first with a Bachelor’s degree in finance, and then with an honors degree from the Texas Tech law school, I felt on top of the world.

So when a big time defense law firm offered me a job, I jumped at the chance.

My job was to make sure the manufacturing companies we worked with paid as little as possible to the people injured in the injury and wrongful death cases that came our way.

I was good at my job and a hard worker, but I got tired of seeing the little guy get hosed by Goliath day in and day out.

I knew what strength was — and this wasn’t it.

I wanted to be a David.

Leaving that firm and coming down from that ivory tower was a leap of faith, but I knew I was doing the right thing.