OMG no more

I emailed the dude back about helping with a resume, but he has not responded. There goes my first client! Boo! Well, not like I expected much to come of it, but it would have been crazy cool to have someone pay me to help them with their resume!

I went to court this morning, hoping to catch my boss in action. I sat through several cases, and as always, our case came up last. The judge ended up closing the courtroom, and I got booted out, so they could have an In Camera discussion, basically a not public discussion. I was a bit disappointed, so as the clerk was locking up the door, I looked up hopefully at her and told her I worked for Barbara and inquired as to whether they would open the door after the private discussion. She told me probably not, so I ended up going into work. Turns out, they did reopen the doors, so I should have just waited!

There was a new commissioner, and I wanted to check him out. A commissioner is not voted in by the public, but rather, voted in by other judges. It's kind of a slick way to get on the bench, but the catch is most people don't know they don't have to stipulate to a commissioner and just assume they have to have the commissioner hear their case. As I get more involved in the legal system, I become increasingly aware at how many rights people don't even realize they have in a courtroom, and for those fortunate enough to have enough money for attorneys, they can be taken care of properly. For those in pro per, too bad for them. It's really a big bummer, but I can't think of a feasible solution to that dilemma. I don't think I spelled dilemma right, but this smart computer isn't underlining it red, so I'm going with it.

I was also surprised by the lack of formality. The clerk was clacking her keyboard so loud that I could hardly hear. She kept leaning over to talk to the judge while litigants were talking. The court reporter got snippy with a lady who was talking over the judge. People were walking all over the courtroom and not being so quiet about it. The commissioner told several people he hadn't even read their papers, and quickly rushed them through talking, asking them questions that were already in their papers and making harried orders. I have heard from people that family law is treated as a joke. That law and procedure go out the door. As one attorney complained that she did not receive all of the pages in a document, and that it was on the wrong paper (not on pleading paper), the judge stared her down and made some comment about practicality. I asked my boss if in other areas of law if they would make the attorney do the papers again, and she thought they would. I have yet to attend a hearing in San Francisco, but I understand that it is a much more formal courtroom. The SF courthouse is beautiful, and I did get to peak into a room once, and it really was quite a beauty. But, the most stunning courtroom I have been inside was the SF Court of Appeals. I attended my boss' oral argument as support to her and our client. Stained glass ceilings and windows lined the room. It was spotless, yet comfortable. As the justices rolled out in their black robes and the bailiff called "All Rise...." I realized this was the real deal.

I think one of the greatest gifts my boss has given me in my career, is that she took the fear out of the court system. She has forced me to walk into courtrooms and hand clerks documents. She has made me call the clerks on many occasions to calendar hearings. She has made me serve opposing counsel pleadings, and serve subpoenas on banks. I thank her greatly for that. When I think back to when I first started and that paralyzing fear of walking into a courtroom or serving documents, I chuckle a bit. We talked about me leaving again today. It is hard for her to grasp, and we are both in very transitional places with our lives. She may want to move into the city or go up north to her country home in the mountains. Either way, she doesn't think she will continue her practice the same way without me, which makes me feel a mixture of pleasure(that I have that much of an impact) and a sense that I am abandoning her. If I were staying in the area, I would work for her as long as I could afford it. She is an exceptional human being in many ways, and I hope whatever attorney I work for next in my new town, will be just as amazing.

Nothing new to report really. School and financial aid, taken care of. Work and home, same stuff, different day. Gym, check. Although the scale said I gained a pound, that lying sack of metal and plastic. I am excited to go school supply shopping though. I have an affinity for office/school supplies and I like my mechanical pencils and my matching folders and spiral notebooks. It makes me feel like a kid again, except without worrying if my Lisa Frank ponies are not cool enough.