How Attorney Angela Grayson Remembers 9/11, And Her Advice For Aspiring Attorneys

Inspiration and insights from an in-house lawyer turned entrepreneur.

Angela Grayson

Angela Grayson

“Easy to dream a dream, though it’s harder to live it / Look, they’re going to love me for my ambition / Beautiful music, painting pictures that be my vision.”Wale

This Sunday marks the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11. Earlier this month, we featured Paula Edgar, an attorney who lost her mother in the South Tower. This week, I had the opportunity to catch up with Angela Grayson, an attorney who witnessed the smoke and fire coming from the Pentagon after it had been hit by American Airlines Flight 77.

In our conversation, she described this experience and shared life and career advice. Last year, Grayson founded Precipice IP, PLLC, a strategic IP consultancy and intellectual property law services firm. In April, she left her in-house counsel position to run the consultancy full-time.

Grayson was generous enough to spend some time with me this week and share some advice for up-and-coming lawyers. From growing up in the Mississippi Delta to her in-house counsel experiences at Pfizer, Eli Lilly, DuPont, and Walmart, I found Grayson’s story inspirational and learned quite a bit from her. I believe you will as well. Here is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation:

Renwei Chung (RC): What does being a lawyer mean to you?

Angela Grayson (AG): Being a lawyer means being a partner to my clients and being committed to community. It means figuring out what clients care about most, and delivering. Many lawyers are great at issue spotting, but figuring out how to become a proactive partner and thought leader for them, well, that is what I live for.

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RC: What attracted you to law, and how did you choose the University of Mississippi School of Law?

AG: I chose the University of Mississippi because the University chose me. I’m a Mississippi native, and it is no secret Mississippi has long had a twisted history on race relations through the years. By the time I attended University, the Ayers case had made its way back from the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Ayers litigation concerned the lack of equal opportunities for African Americans in Mississippi’s public institutions, where social and political policies created a system of unequal and unbalanced opportunities for whites over blacks. The litigation on this issue had been ongoing since 1975, and in 1995, as I finished college and contemplated my future, the University of Mississippi Graduate School recruited me into their program.

Whatever was happening in the political and racial climate in the state, I was fairly insulated, because my instructors at the UM chemistry program were tremendous, and I credit my time there as a big reason for my current success. I had to work hard, but I received lots of warmth in return, and probably picked up a large part of the “grit” I have today. I finished up my M.S. in chemistry the summer in 1998 and started at the law school that fall.

As for what attracted me to law, two unexpected words: Johnnie Cochran. Johnnie Cochran happened to be the keynote speaker at the UM BLSA (Black Law School Association) dinner the year before I finished up my master’s. I was at a crossroads about whether to pursue a Ph.D. or pursue another degree. Mr. Cochran was a living legend back then, and I thought it would be a treat to hear him speak.

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I was unprepared for the level of passion and greatness I saw that night. By the time the evening concluded, I was convinced I would become a civil rights lawyer; after all, given the twisted struggles of blacks in the South, it seemed like the path I was destined to take. As I progressed in law school, my passion for science won out, however, and I became a patent lawyer instead.

Diversity played a big role in those days in shaping my future. Diversity issues were really just beginning to be addressed head-on in society. Back then, affirmative action was the buzzword, and a dirty word too (remember Hopwood v. Texas), but the reality is that I’ve benefited from those programs, and likely colleagues and professors who are not minorities benefited too just by interacting with me.

I made friends for life. I received an education and an experience that helped shape me into the person I am today, and those programs prove having contact and exposure to people who don’t look like you can change your perspective on life, usually for the better.

RC: You mentioned you grew up in Rolling Fork in the Mississippi Delta. I’d love to hear a little more about hometown and your life experiences before law school.

AG: I love to talk about Rolling Fork, Mississippi! It is, after all, the home of Muddy Waters. I grew up on blues and barbecue, and very humbly I might add. I was raised by my grandparents. The first 14 years or so, I grew up literally on a plantation. Some people don’t think plantations exist, but they do — plantations are still alive and well in the South. My grandfather would wake up before the sun rose to work the land, and he would come home covered in dirt long after the sun went down. I’m sure I first learned “grit” from him.

The town was small, but like most small towns in America, we were a tight-knit community. I grew up in the bandstand at football games. My grandparents insisted I would go to college, as did their children, but they wanted more for me. They never pressured me to follow any particular path, but encouraged me to take the path of my choosing and stick to it. The power of love is strong, because I can remember letters my grandmother would write to me in college reminding me to stay away from boys, and stick to my books! All that paid off when I finished law school.

Like so many people of color before me, I was the first professional in the family, and I think I am the first African-American lawyer from my hometown of Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

RC: You worked in the USPTO office near the Pentagon during 9/11 and witnessed the smoke and fire coming from the Pentagon after it had been hit by American Airlines Flight 77. How did you respond to this tragedy?

AG: My first patent job after law school was as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. I wasn’t on the job thirty days before 9/11 struck. In those days the USPTO was in Crystal City, Virginia, and the Pentagon was visible from most any window. I learned about the terrorist attacks by simply looking outside. I could see the smoke from where the plane crashed into the Pentagon.

As I took in what was happening, I scrambled to get home that day. It took our vanpool hours to make it back to Frederick, Maryland. As we inched along the streets to make it out of the city, we were all fearful for each other, and for everyone else, as we witnessed cars abandoned on the Parkway, not knowing if more attacks would ensue as we tried to make our way home.

As I rode along, I remembered thinking back to a memory of watching planes land at Ronald Reagan National. I would sit in the park adjacent to the airport, and lie on my back watching the belly of planes as they landed, so close I could feel them as they descended and taxied onto the runway. As I inched my way home that night, I knew that memory would forever conjure a different, surreal sensation, far from the feeling of whimsy I felt just one week prior.

Personally, I lost no one that day, but friends of friends did. I will never forget. I was there. When I returned that evening from my long journey homeward, I wept.

RC: Having graduated in 2001, which by most accounts was a very tough year (end of the dot-com bubble, the following recession, and 9/11), what advice do you have for those for those about to graduate law school and enter the job market?

AG: Be hungry. Stay hungry. Stay the course.

Much of success is sheer will. Nothing can replace hard work and a good network of people who are willing to mentor and/or sponsor your success. Another thing, don’t forget to be kind to others. Treating people right will pay dividends in the long run.

RC: How can young lawyers and millennials help shape our profession?

AG: I think young lawyers under-utilize pro bono opportunities. So many young lawyers talk about having difficulty finding meaningful work, but there are so many pro bono opportunities to help them gain meaningful experience and a chance to help a deserving client. Pro bono opportunities help the client, they help the lawyer gain experience, and if the lawyer lacks experience, many experienced lawyers would be happy to partner.

Just the act of performing pro bono service creates experiences for the lawyer, a chance to help a client, and potentially creates an advocate in the partner lawyer. Pro bono is great way to impact the young lawyer, our community, and our profession.

RC: What does diversity mean to you?

AG: Diversity means a patchwork of meaningful differences. Embracing differences that range from inherent to acquired can have a huge and meaningful effect on our community. I learned years ago that diversity of thought is the end game. The right mix of ideas, backgrounds and perspectives can make teams thrive, and make businesses strong.

At Precipice IP, we want to support highly disruptive innovations from all sectors. Precipice IP, PLLC was founded on the value those differences can provide. The firm helps our clients obtain a competitive advantage by unlocking more innovations through supporting inclusion and creative initiatives at research and development organizations that can unlock the potential for disruptive, moonshot innovations only diverse teams can provide.

RC: It was great chatting with you; is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

AG: Never give up on your dreams. The only real obstacle standing in the way is you.

RC: On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Angela Grayson for sharing her experience and wisdom with our audience and wish her continued success in her career.

Earlier: MBBA President Paula Edgar’s Life And Lawyerly Advice For Law Students And Young Attorneys


Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn.