We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lydia Camp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lydia , thanks for joining us today. Looking back at the decisions you made early in your career, particularly whether to join a firm or start your own, do you feel you made the right choice for that stage of your career?

When first starting out, I joined a small to mid-sized law firm. I made the choice to join a law firm because I understood that starting my own law firm would require parts of me I did not have to give as I was a new mom and wife. When I start a business I want it to be of high quality. I enjoy the work I do as a Personal Injury Attorney. I made the right choice to join a firm because managing a law firm and practicing law are two different things. Running and managing a law firm would remove me too far from the practice of law.

When I first started law school in 2019, I was hard set-on practicing criminal law and being a trial attorney. After internships and practice, I dislike the practice of criminal law and do not care to step foot in a courtroom. I was able to do some work in insurance defense and consumer debt, neither of which I liked. Billable hours are HELL. I enjoy where I am doing Personal Injury as it is a great balance of customer contact and the practice of civil law. I am a mix of an introvert and an extrovert.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am originally from Waterloo, Iowa and I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. I got my Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Tennesee State University. I then went on and got my Juris Doctor from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. I passed the Georgia Bar Exam in October 2022. Before passing the Bar Exam, I worked as a Law Clerk at a personal injury law firm. While studying for the bar I had the opportunity to practice consumer rights law and insurance defense. After passing the bar I ultimately went back to personal injury law.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I graduated law school a semester early to take the Bar Exam early. I took the February 2022 Bar Exam. I found out when I was about 3 months pregnant that I failed the Bar Exam. So I felt all that I needed to feel and I started studying for the next Bar Exam. I was pregnant, and working full time; I also got married during that time. I took the bar exam 5 months pregnant with a small bladder and swollen feet. After studying through just an overall uncomfortable time I passed the July 2022 Bar Exam.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I had to unlearn is being afraid to make mistakes. I had to learn that mistakes are not a sign of failure but a sign of wisdom. When I made mistakes I did not start over from nothing but from a place of experience. I have been in many situations where I looked at mistakes as regrets. Now I see mistakes as tools of wisdom. Now I say I am not starting over but I am starting from experience.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: adoseofLydia
• Facebook: Lydia Camp
• Linkedin: Lydia Camp