Today we’d like to introduce you to Clarence Patterson III.
Hi Clarence , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am originally from Norther California, about 45 minutes from Oakland, California. Growing up I always had an interest in the law from a young age. When I wasn’t playing sports you might find me watching Court TV, even as a kid. Eventually I moved away and went to the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) for my undergraduate degree. I completed my Bachelors of Science in Sociology, but knew that I would attend law school.
I attended law school at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona. I graduated in 2013. In law school, I interned at the Office of the Yuma County Public Defender and the Office of the Clark County Public Defender. However, I eventually gravitated toward family law and gained experience by being a student attorney for the Child and Family Law Clinic at the University of Arizona.
Eventually, I relocated to the Twin Cities. I was fortunate enough to open my own practice and now primarily practice family law and estate planning (wills and trusts).
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
As any lawyer or any small business I have had plenty of struggles. The one thing law school does not teach you is how to be a lawyer, law school teaches you how to find answers. I remember feeling incredibly lost at the beginning of my career. However, law school taught me how to find the answers I needed and I believe that I have been a successful advocate for my clients.
As a small business owner I was incredibly afraid at first to open my own practice. I left a steady job, but knew that by opening my own practice I would be able to help more families with their difficult legal cases. I am glad that I decided to open my own firm in 2018, it is the best decision that I could have made.
We’ve been impressed with Law Offices of Clarence Patterson III, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a practicing attorney. The majority of my practice is family law and I also do estate planning (wills and trusts). I believe that what sets me apart is caring for my clients. A mentor of mine practiced for 40 years and was one if, if not the best, lawyers in Nevada. He advised me that all the best lawyers have one thing in common, they care.
I pride myself is caring for my clients. With such care I go above and beyond to obtain the results that are best for their families. When my clients hire me they are hiring someone that is going to stick by their side until the end. I enjoy that 1-on-1 connection and the feeling of helping these families in need.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I hear that lawyers are going to irrelevant in the future. There is speculation that there will be computer programs that will make lawyers useless. I do not believe this at all. The information that is needed for any case is available already. A successful lawyer does not know which law to apply, but when to do so. They know what facts are actually important to the case and what the judge will not be interested in. All of this comes from experience that a computer program will never have.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.lawofficesofcp.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lawofficescp
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lawofficescp
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/law-offices-of-clarence-patterson-iii-st-paul
