“Isaiah the Lawyer”

By almost anyone’s standards, Isaiah is extremely successful. He is a criminal lawyer who makes more than a million dollars each year defending rich, well-known, clients against criminal charges ranging from drunk driving and cocaine possession to murder.

His income allows him a life of luxury. He owns two houses, one on Lake Washington in Seattle worth ten million dollars, and a “cabin” in the mountains near Bellingham where he vacations often and is worth about a half million dollars. He owns a Jaguar sports car, a Lexus sedan, and a Range Rover SUV. He buys designer clothes and eats at all the best restaurants. He attends the theater and art openings.

Isaiah’s life has not always been luxurious, however. He actually came from very humble beginnings. He was born in the Central District of Seattle when it was a predominantly African American neighborhood. His parents were working class, and neither parent finished high school. His mother stayed home with the children. Although his father was a carpenter by trade, he sometimes had trouble finding work because of discriminatory practices. At times, the family was eligible for welfare assistance, but his father refused to apply for it because it would have hurt his pride.

Occasionally, the children went to bed hungry because of this. Isaiah’s mother was from a family that had more money than her husband’s family did. She had gotten pregnant by Isaiah’s father when she was just 17. Although her parents did not approve of the match, believing that she was marrying below her status, they forced Isaiah’s mother into the marriage because of the pregnancy. Isaiah was the product of that pregnancy. After Isaiah’s birth, it became very clear to his mother that she preferred the more affluent life she had lived when she was single, which eventually made her resent both Isaiah and his father. As staunch Southern Baptists, they never considered divorce, and the couple had two more children.

Neither parent was very affectionate toward their children and sometimes not even the children’s basic physical needs were met, especially when Isaiah’s father was out of work. Isaiah often felt alone and commented at one point that neither of his parents really loved him. Isaiah felt embarrassed by his humble beginnings. In particular, he was embarrassed by his neighborhood, his parents’ lack of education, and his lack of material goods. He became determined to rise above his early station in life and achieve a more successful and sophisticated life.

Isaiah prefers to not think about or discuss his childhood. On the very rare occasion when he does think about his past, he recalls a very early memory about another child who had been unjustly accused of stealing an item from a store. The item had actually fallen down and rolled under the counter. Isaiah defended the child and showed the store clerk the dropped item, thus saving an innocent child from being unjustly punished.

Isaiah was an excellent student in grade school and high school; he earned a full scholarship to the University of Washington where he graduated with honors; and he attended Stanford Law School. He passed the bar the first time around. Other students and some of his professors commented on Isaiah’s penetrating intellect and his unwavering determination to excel in academics. However, they also remarked about how few friendships he had, his lack of women companions, and his disinterest in any of the other activities on campus that were either of entertainment value or contributed to the well-being of the university.

Isaiah started at a well-known law firm in Seattle and was on the fast track toward a partnership, but he became disgruntled with the politics of the firm and the social games being played. He left to start a new firm of his own, and some of his clients went with him. His reputation as a defense lawyer grew quickly, and he soon found his firm and his wallet growing in size. Because he is well known, several organizations have asked him to be on their boards of directors, but he has refused all of them. Isaiah is not active in any community activities and does no volunteer work; not even pro bono legal work.

Using Chapter 4 as your guideline, address the following issues or questions as they relate to Adler’s Individual Psychology Perspective:

• According to Adler’s theory, how did feelings of inferiority influence Isaiah’s beliefs of his inferiority and his striving for superiority?
• What is the cause of Isaiah’s level of social interest?
• What did Adler say about birth order that would apply to Isaiah’s life?

Importance: use 3 citations using apa format

2 to 3 pages double spaces