Judge Herrick’s Advice to Aspiring Lawyers
By Olivia Marcoccia ‘28
In January, Kimberly Herrick was sworn in as a district court judge of Cabarrus County. Years before that, she was the chair of the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners. Many years before that, she was a high school civics teacher. Throughout her career, Herrick has learned a lot about the legal field. For anyone remotely curious about this career path, she has some tips.
First of all, the media is not an accurate portrayal of lawyers. They're rarely so confrontational and mean to each other. Herrick notes that it's usually the opposite. In her experience, lawyers are kind to one another, even when they are actively arguing opposing sides. She describes the profession as a community, stating, "We're a family, a dysfunctional family, but a family.".
Every lawyer has to pass the Bar examination. Herrick passed the exam in 2002. She was appointed to grade and proctor North Carolina Bar exams in 2011. In 2019, she began serving as the chair of the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners. Clearly, she is well-versed in the test that most law students dread. For the essay questions, Herrick advises participants to spend more time explaining their legal reasoning and less time restating the facts. The organization of the essay is another component to think about when preparing for the Bar. "We didn't really care that much about spelling or punctuation, but being able to express yourself in writing is the job that they're asking for," says Herrick. Regarding the time limit of the test, Herrick noted that it doesn't exist to shorten what graders have to read. Instead, it is meant to help differentiate who can pull out what is necessary from the question and who cannot. To prepare for the multi-choice questions, it's integral to practice them again and again. Herrick recommends reviewing every question you practice, even the ones you got right.
Many qualities make a good lawyer. Judge Herrick has found that her ability to not take things personally has benefited her most in her career. As a lawyer, sometimes clients are let down, people may believe you could've handled a case better, and you might feel a sense of failure at times. It's important to be able to separate people's feelings about you from your actual value as a person. "You need to understand that they're not mad at you because really did anything wrong. They're upset with you because they have an investment," Herrick said. She then added that this quality even helped her gain people's trust when running for a judge because they knew she'd never retaliate against someone due to personal reasons.
More women are joining the legal force every year. Nonetheless, some people think less of their female attorney or hear the word "lawyer" and think of "he". To these notions, Herrick turns away. She doesn't think those ideas deserve any time of day. She says, "If you feel like somebody is bothered by the fact that you're a female attorney, it's just not even something to give any energy to." Prejudices shouldn't stop anyone from seeking the career they want. Women are necessary in law, even though some people don't think so. Judge Herrick notes that the typical feminine personality brings a different perspective to law, one that adds positivity and empathy to the field. Overall, it's important to have diversity within the field regarding geographical background, race, gender, class, and areas of law. Without this diversity, the legal system would not be able to deliver justice as it is designed to do.
It's an undeniable fact that artificial intelligence has a role in the field of law and will become even more important as it develops. Whether it will become a tool or a catastrophe has been a largely debated topic amongst lawyers. Herrick thinks it could be good. Like most things, she is choosing to look on the bright side. She thinks it can increase fairness within the courts. When asked about AI, Herrick said, "It can help take out an element of human not just emotion, but unpredictability. I've heard that judges give harsher sentences right before lunch. If somebody gets sentenced and loses months or years of their personal liberty just because somebody hasn’t put their burger in their face yet, that's just wrong." She recommends considering AI's benefits instead of the possible negatives because it'll be in the firms and the courts whether we want it to be or not.
In general, Judge Herrick encourages people to switch careers if they're considering it. For her, it has brought a world of success and fulfillment. Another thing that she wants people to know, specifically young people, is that fear and anxiety should never stop you from doing what you want to do. "Honestly", she says, "none of these people care about what you do day to day. Most of them aren't noticing." Currently, Herrick is excited to continue her position as a newly elected judge. She doesn't know what will come next in her career, but she is always open to new experiences.
Olivia Marcoccia is a freshman majoring in English.
Sources
Herrick, K. Kimberly A. Herrick. Linkedin.com. Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-a-herrick-a519394/
Herrick, K. Kimberly Herrick For District Court Judge. Herrickforjudge.com. Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://www.herrickforjudge.com/
Rawlings, R. A Bar Exam Unlike Any Other: Board of Law Examiners Adminsters Historic Bar Exam. NCBar.org. Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://www.ncbar.org/nc-lawyer/2020-11/ncble-herrick-historic-bar-exam/
Women in the Legal Profession. Americanbar.org. Retrieved March 5, 2025, from https://www.americanbar.org/news/profile-legal-profession/women/
2024 District Court Judge (District 25) Candidates. VoteCabarrus.com. Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://www.votecabarrus.com/2024-district-court-judge-district-25-candidates/
