I clearly remember my first encounter with an attorney; in the summer of 1994. XXXX walked into our classroom wearing an impeccable black tailored suit. I gazed at him with admiration. Well-dressed people were unfamiliar in my hometown, and working in an office was equally rare. My school would have been declared insolvent if not for the generous donation of advocate XXXX. His humanitarian and anthropological example was inspirational for me, motivating me to become an attorney. Shaking his hand, I envisioned a day when it would be me wearing the black tailored suit. Our town had few resources and the lowest SAT scores in our country, Israel. I have learned that there are no barriers to success except those you impose upon yourself. Even during high school, formal studying was never something I settled for. After school, I practiced my love of writing and, at fourteen, penned a book called, Our Story, a personal narrative depicting teenage life in a struggling town. My book caught the interest of Israeli National TV producers, who asked me to participate in a documentary about promising teenagers from peripheries. This experience was empowering, enabling me to inspire teenagers to achieve their goals and inspiring me to continue to challenge myself.
Working as an attorney in international commercial and corporate law in one of Israel's leading firms - XXXX Co. - and specializing in international cross-border transactions, I have worked with a rich array of cases and clients from around the world, building my cultural competency and negotiation skills. Every day I am given opportunities to alter legal realities, raise original and creative claims, gaining a better understanding of financial markets and businesses.
In addition to my duties as an attorney, I have created interactive legal software entitled Agreement Optimizer, a professional tool that facilitates drafting agreements and other legal documents. The software suggests enhancements, among other things, according to the user's needs, updated, relevant legislation and court rulings, and helps the author avoid errors such as disregarding relevant legal matters.
I was serving in the military refined my leadership skills. After only six months, I was promoted to senior technician commanding fifteen soldiers from diverse backgrounds, a position in which I had to be confident, and encourage my team. At the same time, I had to be understanding, attentive and lenient with my soldiers. This experience has given me an edge at the negotiation table as I suggest creative ideas to solve differences and defend my clients interests and the collective interests of both parties.