Career

You can't control how smart you are, how funny you are, how good-looking you are. The one thing you can control in your life is how hard you work.

You are millennials, which is the biggest generation of the United States. I thought it was hard for me to find a job. It's going to be like The Hunger Games out there for you guys.

If you find yourself in a place where you stop caring — where your greatest concern becomes only you — get out of there.

What would you do if you weren't afraid? Take a moment and ask yourself that question. And then go do it.

Your life's course will not be determined by doing the things that you are certain you can do. It will be determined by whether you try the things that are hard.

You take words, and you turn them into the infrastructure that keeps our world stable. A lot of you will become the quiet heroes of our country.

I look at all of you and see America's future — attorneys, corporate lawyers, public prosecutors, judges, politicians, maybe even the President. Those are all positions of such great influence. Understand that one day, you will have the power to make a difference. So use it well.

Hard work beats talent if talent doesn't work hard. Don't be content to work around the edges of your profession. Speak up. Volunteer. Show your enthusiasm. Knock on doors.

People don't care what you know until they know that you care. Success is always a team effort, and no one does great things alone.

In the profession of the law, it's not how much you make that matters, but whether you make a difference.

Making a difference as a lawyer means devoting time to public service. This is what makes the practice of law a profession, and not just a job.

Dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen. It's hard work that creates change.