If You Think You’re the Smartest Person in the Room, You’re in the Wrong Room

August 2025

By Betty Williams
CLA President

It’s hard to argue with this sentiment from the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius. After all, what a boring world it would be if we truly “knew it all,” and were never challenged to expand our skillsets, particularly for a group of lawyers!

Entering a new room doesn’t necessarily mean engaging with people smarter or more experienced than you in your professional endeavors. It can mean connecting with people with different career backgrounds, ethnic and cultural identities, or personal interests.

As CLA members, we are so fortunate to have opportunities throughout the year to connect with our 50,000 attorney members across the state, to meet and exchange ideas or to learn something new.

While I rarely delve into the world of legislation, by attending CLA’s Annual Legislative Day, I learned specific details about what our senators and assemblymembers are actually doing to support our state and its residents. I was surprised at how interested I was in what each speaker had to say the first year I attended, even though it wasn’t part of my practice area. This experience kept me coming back, and I have gained a deep respect for the individuals who serve California in these roles.  

A “right room” for me was participating in delegation trips with CLA’s International Law and Immigration Section. While I never considered myself a “court junkie,” it turns out, court tours are fascinating!  Typically, a representative as high as one of a country’s supreme court justices, will meet with CLA’s delegation to discuss historical information, the way their court operates, differences in our legal systems, and challenges they may face.

This was particularly true when I visited Mexico City in 2024 and met with judges from the Supreme Court of Justice, Mexico City, who were just days away from significant judicial reform that changed the selection process for judges from appointments, to popular elections. I took with me the understanding that my colleagues around the globe want to have memorable dialogue, and learn from these encounters.

If you have never thought about a CLA delegation trip, I hope you will consider joining us in Milan this October, where a wide range of topics and events are planned. It is a unique occasion where you will get to know members across CLA’s sections, as well as connecting with colleagues from Italy and, of course, seeing famous and local sites. To learn more, visit here.

Getting to know others by moving into a new room, helps us have more compassion, and understanding. Ultimately, we become more interesting and coexisting becomes more enjoyable. We all have an impact on one another, whether we realize it or not, and having respect for each other benefits us all.

At our inaugural Leveling Up Your Practice conference in Los Angeles last month, I engaged with many practitioners who defined “leveling up” in a variety of ways. In this case, experts and leaders joined with private practitioners to cover a wide range of relevant topics.  I even learned a 30-second biological hack to reset my internal clock for hours of better focus – how valuable!!!

In some of my prior messages, I have shared my work with some of California’s affinity bars. I am proud of the effort CLA has made to grow new partnerships and help the legal profession in its efforts to reflect the diversity which represents California. I’ve learned that while we come from a wide range of backgrounds, and our journeys are all very different, we all share our passion for the rule of law.

This brings to mind a recent conversation I had with Alison Chan, a Deputy Public Defender. We met at a Los Angeles County Unity Bar event and began discussing the variances in the sentencing of defendants, particularly of codefendants in the same case. We discussed our mutual concerns and strategies to eliminate possible biases in this area.

Finally, leaving a room where you think you are the smartest person is good way to keep your ego in check and to ensure you do not become complacent.  Entering a new room can be challenging. It can also be exhilarating. When I mentioned to colleagues that I was making an effort to learn Spanish, attorneys Myriam Bouaziz and Justin Ward recommended a local school for in-person classes. I signed up and am excited about my progress, even though it is slow. Talk about not being the smartest person in the room!

It doesn’t matter if you are learning a technical skill, something for personal growth, or for enjoyment – the point is to keep your mind, and even your soul, engaged.

The next time you wonder if you should attend an event at CLA, remember that you won’t learn anything by staying in the room where you are the smartest person. Open a new door and come inside, amazing things await!