The American legal drama Suits gave us Harvey Specter who is the most impressive lawyer on screen and we’ve been fawning over him since the series kicked off. But do we give any credit to the woman behind the curtain who recognised Harvey’s potential and nudged him to be who is today? That’s right; we are talking about Jessica Pearson who is an incredibly amazing attorney, a ferocious board room executive and a leader who instigates loyalty! Let’s not forget how stunning a style icon she is as she struts confidently across a room ready to spearhead any challenge that comes across!
Jessica Pearson has all the skills that put her on top of her game every single time. Whether it was managing her firm, negotiating a deal, being a kickass lawyer or settling the never ending disputes between Harvey and Louis, Jessica Pearson always came through! Just when we thought that she’ll be blindsided by emotion when executing her ex-husband’s Will template, she kicked ass in the courtroom that time as well!
Jessica has been ambitious from a very young age and she has fended off everything that came her way. This could be the main reason why she recognises talent when she sees it and does her best to groom and nurture the person to help them make the best of their abilities. It will be your luckiest day if she decides to take you under her wing.
But what is it exactly that makes her a kickass mentor? Let’s find out!
- She believes in her employees enough to invest in them
Jessica not only has a keen eye for talent whiling away in the mailroom as she makes it a point to nurture it by getting right down to business. She believes in her employees enough to invest in them to make them bigger and better that too with her own money. Let’s not forget that Jessica paid for Harvey’s law school and she even sponsored Rachel Zane’s education. She even “fake-loaned” quite a bit of money to Jack Soloff without wanting it back! If this isn’t greatness personified, then we don’t know what is.
- She sees the bigger picture
You might have the reputation of being the best closer in the city but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can get away with anything you want! For instance, you can’t just hire an associate, who has never been to Harvard Law School or any Law School for that matter and be forgiven without any repercussions. On the contrary, Jessica can’t help but approve of the raw talent she sees in Mike Ross. She understands it better than anyone that even your immense stupidity can help you become a better version of yourself and along the way do well for the firm as well.
- She knows her stuff
Jessica shows unwavering faith in you even when she knows you’re an absolute fraud. She believes in second and even third chances and she is someone who will hand you your first case as a junior partner! Because when it comes down to it, Mike’s secret is as much as Jessica’s as it is Harvey’s or anyone else who knew it.
- She’s someone who listens to what you’ve got to say
You might not be her hair-gelled-to-perfection Adonis of a partner, and you might not even go to Harvard, but she will bend and sometimes even break the rules for you. Jessica went against her firm’s oldest and most esteemed tradition of hiring associates from Harvard Law only. This was done partly because Rachel Zane was willing to risk herself to protect the firm’s biggest secret in season 3. The main reason perhaps was because Jessica knew that Rachel has been killing it at the firm for a good decade as a paralegal and also because Rachel put forth an argument which Jessica couldn’t refute. The bottom line is, both ladies got what they wanted… a win win!
- She doesn’t take sides even if it looks like she does
Jessica will go to lengths to keep the peace at the firm and will throw herself amidst warring employees to put a stop to a beat-down. But don’t assume even for a minute that she will let you smooth talk your way out of a situation just because you are her favourite. Jessica has always called Harvey out on his objectionable behaviour toward Louis. She does all this while managing to keep the situation from getting worse and restoring calm.
- She will draw the line and keep you in check when you need it… or not!
Let us get this straight, Jessica isn’t someone who will keep breathing down your neck just because she can but she will not miss out on a second to show you who the boss is! If you are about to blow a deal to smithereens which took her a good five months to structure, she will coolly threaten to set your desk ablaze and who knows, she might even follow through.
No matter what you do, she will always be a step ahead of you, so watch and learn how it’s done!