Beyond the First Whereas

A Lawyer's Odyssey in Verse

Beyond the First Whereas is a witty, poignant, and refreshingly original poetic journey through the stages of a lawyer’s life, from the first tentative steps toward law school to the triumphs, trials, and quiet revelations of practice.

With humor, insight, and emotional resonance, Mark Halliwell Smith captures the moments that shape a lawyer’s path: the pressure of the LSAT, the camaraderie of study groups, the sting of a bad cold call, the rush of closing a deal, and the personal costs that sometimes come with professional success.

Whether you’re a seasoned attorney, a law student, or simply someone who loves poetry that plays with form and meaning, this collection invites you to reflect, smile, and see the law as a lawyer sees it, heart and soul (and in iambic tetrameter).

WHEREAS, a lawyer’s life unfolds
In cautious steps, with borrowed grace,
From law school dreams the young heart holds
To battles fought with poise and pace.

WHEREAS, the LSAT's quiet dread,
The cold call’s sting, the study grind,
Give way to briefs and deals ahead,
And quiet truths we come to find.

WHEREAS, the law can lift and bruise,
Its gains hard-earned, its pains not small,
Yet even when the heart must lose,
There’s purpose rising through it all.

WHEREAS, these verses dare to show
The human side beneath the robe.
With wit and warmth, they let us know
The lawyer’s life, around the globe.

NOW, THEREFORE, let the reader see:
This book’s not just for courts and class;
It charts my soul’s own quiet plea
To delve beyond the first “WHEREAS.”