I Think I Should Write Something....

The last time I updated my blog was 8 days ago, and there is a reason for that. In a word, my life has been hectic. I just finished a two-day trial that consumed Monday and Tuesday of this week, and I was in court again today. I don't talk about my work very much - that which consumes my every day life. I'm a litigator - meaning that I'm in court a lot. I don't sit in an office all day and write wills for people. I am going to court, interacting with the court and the court staff, and assisting my clients in getting what they want. I admit, I love the "action" of court. It is the real-life drama. I enjoy seeing my fellow attorneys in their suits, working out deals with other attorneys, or getting ready to try cases. I enjoy the interaction from all kind of attorneys - from the first-year associates from the big firms who are sent over to Family Court to get trial experience in handling court appointments, to the seasoned veterans. It's exciting when things go my way, but sometimes heart-wrenching and embarassing when they don't. You have to have a thick skin to do what I do. I think about myself as a first-year lawyer, and I laugh at myself at some of the things I did. Now I laugh at first-year lawyers that I encounter, and those that I saw as first-years who now have several years under their belts. They go from, "Please, can you give me this one thing in this case, Mrs. Moore, please??", to "Hey, give me what I want or we'll go try a case as long as it takes to get what my client wants." I really think that it should be required for lawyers to go out to Vegas and watch the poker pros. There really is an element of reading your opponent, without fully knowing what he has in his stack of cards.