How I came to view the world differently

When I enrolled in law school, I had no idea how it would change what I see when I look at the world.

But by the time I earned my law degree at the University of New Brunswick, everything was different.

In all that I looked at, I could see the underlying legal structure that underpins everything in our society.

Even buying a bag of potato chips from a vending machine became a different experience – as I slid the coins into the machine, the contractual obligations behind the simple transaction ran through my mind.

It is like seeing a Matrix-like code of zeros and ones streaming by.

Today, nearly 25 years after I graduated, it is second nature to interpret the legal nuances and implications in all that is happening around me.

Perhaps that strikes some people as unusual but I’m grateful for it – it allows me to help so many people, businesses and organizations assess risks, navigate their way through uncertainty, solve problems and find success.

I am grateful to my alma mater. UNB provided an excellent “black letter law” education experience – a chance to understand how to apply the law in a practical sense. My classmates, some of whom are featured in the grainy retro photo featured here, came from all over Canada to learn in small classes from top-notch professors.

Today, those classmates are judges, lead prosecutors, top military leaders, private practitioners, and in-house lawyers with global multi-nationals.

They, like me, are lawyers who see the world differently so they can help their clients achieve their goals.

PHOTO CAPTION: Look out, world! Here I am with some law school pals during our time at the University of New Brunswick in the late 1990s. 

Mel K. Norton is a Partner with Lawson Creamer. He can be reached at mnorton@lawsoncreamer.com.