Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan advised third-year law students to approach their budding careers holistically when she spoke at the Georgetown University Law Center on Monday afternoon as part of the inaugural Dean’s Lecture to the Graduating Class.

Kagan described herself as a voracious reader who grew up aspiring to become a writer. Although her father was an attorney, Kagan never considered becoming a lawyer until after she graduated from Princeton University and discovered her passion at Harvard Law School.

“From the very first day, I fell in love with it,” Kagan said. “I liked the puzzle aspects of law … but I also liked the fact that it wasn’t purely a puzzle and purely abstract, but that there were ways people could use the law to actually make a difference in the world.”

Responding to a question from Law Center Dean William Treanor, Kagan instructed graduating law students about how to launch their careers.

“Don’t think about just your first job,” Kagan said. “Try to be more holistic in your thinking about the kinds of experiences you want to have and the kind of work you want to do during the course of your career.”

Kagan spoke highly of her experiences as a clerk for Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Abner Mikva and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. After clerking, Kagan went on to teach at the University of Chicago.

Kagan specifically emphasized the importance of collaborating with others in all careers. She identified her time as Dean of Harvard Law School as being a period when teamwork was crucial.

“Part of what makes a good dean is listening to people and getting them to focus on the institution as a whole,” Kagan said.

Kagan also focused on the importance of flexibility and the greater good.

“The ability to recognize that life is long and there are lots of different opportunities that are going to present themselves to you gives you a sort of freedom to think about your career,” Kagan said. “The lawyers that are happy find some way to accomplish something for people outside themselves and what that is is going to vary enormously,”

Kagan’s advice resonated well with Georgetown Law students who attended the event. Lorin Dale-Pierce (LAW ’14), who heard Justice Sonia Sotomayor speak in 2012, expressed her gratitude for having the opportunity to hear from both Justices.

“The advice was realistic. Justice Kagan was very down-to-earth and it was nice to hear a different perspective as a third-year student,” Dale-Pierce said. “It re-enforced that I don’t have to worry about every single thing in my career.”