I Lawyer, What do You Do?

So, i linked up with two fellow DFW bloggers last week and shared why I became a lawyer, part 1. I promised you all I would share part 2. So, in case you missed last week, catch it here, before you read below. This was part 2 in a 2 part post way back in December 2011 on why I became a lawyer. Enjoy.

So if you haven't read last Friday's post, now would be the time. So, I left off Friday working for my alma mater and my father reappearing... So I'm sure you all are familiar with sites such as classmates.com and the like... well this is how my father found me. One day I was sitting on the couch checking my email and BAM! (totall Emeril moment) there was an email from him.

At first I was in shock... I mean this has go to be a joke, right? No, it was him. Thanks classmates.com.... I did not know what to do, to tell you the truth. Part of me was angry, part scared, part sad... I had a rush of emotion. I reverted back to the days of if you do not acknowledge your problem it will go away... So I ignored it. I pretended the email did not exist and went on about my life for a couple of weeks. I talked to my then boyfriend, now husband about it. I decided to answer the email. I mean come on, its email people. But there was still this part of  me that was so scared he would just show up at my doorstep. I mean what would I do then?

I answered his email and we excanged a few back and forth. Nothing extensive and I was always brief. I mean I was busy. I was in the middle of pageant prep, working full time, and just trying to pay bills. I did not need any more stress in my life. I didn't tell anyone about this. Of course he wanted to see me and tell me how sorry he was etc... blah blah... I did not want to hear it, I was mad, ok beyond mad, i was angry, I hated him. I blamed all the crappiness of my life on him. I was finally standing on my own two feet for the most part and did not need the sperm donor to come back into my life and ruin things.

As the months went by I kept on with m pageant prep and working happily away...  I did not think anyone noticed that I was stressed, on edge and in  general just not a nice person. My boss did. She was worried about me. I told her it was just pageant stuff getting in my head. I mean come on, I had people telling me what to eat, what to wear, how to act 24/7.. that alone was enough to get to someone. I went to some counseling and everything seemed to get better. No one was the wiser of the other the pressure in my life. Well, pageant came and went. But I realized during that strenuous week that I needed a change. I was not this scared person I was pretending to be all this time. I had goals, wants, dreams....

I'm sure my family and friends thought I just woke up one morning and said ok law school now. But it was more than that. I finally had this person back in my life, kind of, and I realized that the reason I left law school dreams in the dust was because I was scared. What if I wasn't good at it? What if I failed? But most of all, what if I couldn't help someone like me. I decided to stop living in fear and comfort, and go for it. I was 25 years old and if I didn't do it then, I never would. So I took an LSAT prep class and went for it.

I told only a few people. I wrote about my father and my life for my personal statement. I wanted to do more with my life, I wanted to help people. I wanted justice in the world. I wanted to speal for people who had no voice. I wanted to be someone's hero. I knew that people did things they were ashamed of and knew were wrong, but that did not mean they were bad people. They deserved just as much of a change as anyone. Because had no one given me a change there is no clue where I would be today. I am who I am because people were not scared to take a chance on me. I applied to schools in and out of state and waited.

I look back now and realize that it was fear that held me back. I was so afraid of people getting to know me, the real me. I feared if they knew my past, they would discredit my future. I did not think anyone would want... me. The one with the crappy childhood. Who grew up with an incarcerated father. Who lived through fights, near-eviction, who saw her single mother struggle to give her kids the best she could. But the truth is, that most people don't care, and those who let that define a friendship are not friends at all.

So that's it! I went off to law school, graduated and started working. (well there is a lot more to the story, but that's for like the next 50 posts...) Am I doing exactly what I want to do, no. But do I love it, yes! I am learning everyday how to perfect my craft. See, it doesn't matter what kind of law you practice, because it still teaches you invaluable skills. Someday I would love to work on capital murder cases. I want to be the voice for the people. Innocent until proven guilty. But until then, I help people in other ways. Someone asked me if I was selling out by working for a civil defense firm. NO. I am still helping people. The practice of law is all about problem solving. Whether its for a person or business... Everyone deserves good representation and advice. I continue to work for the things I believe in in other ways.

I was a voice for domestic violence when I competed in pageants, I am a walking example that statistics do not define who you are and who you will become. It goes to show that hard work and dedication pay off. The road is not easy, but the road leads you wherever YOU take it. 

9/11 & A lil Rant

Today is a day we will never forget. Everyone has the story of where they were when the towers fell, or the loved ones they lost, and how they were affected. I have these too. I was a freshman at TCU, my brother was in the Army stationed in Korea, and they cancelled our home opener that weekend against Marshall. Yes, today will be a day we will never forget. But, this day is also a day to celebrate, two very special people  in my life have birthdays!

Happy Birthday V & my Big!! So, I celebrate today and celebrate two special women in my life who have had such an impact. V, well y'all know I would not be where I am without her. Lord, woman is ah-mazing and has a heart of gold. And my Big, well she is just about the sweetest, coolest mom ever now. I have so many great memories of parties, her doing my hair, her wedding and now watching her boys grow up.

On another note....I'm a lawyer, true people I am. I know I have not talked about my oh so glamorous lawyer life of late so I decided today was time for a quick True Life: I'm a Lawyer.

This is my desk. Its organized chaos (promise I know where 99% of things are when I need them). I am currently knee-deep in about 5 different projects and at last count had my hand in over 30 litigation files. I spend my day toiling away at my computer typing. No Law & Order courtroom displays for me. In actuality, I rarely see the courtroom. In fact, I see it more when I drive downtown than I see it for work.

People often like to engage in random, so-called witty legal banter with me. Guess what people? No one uses words like they do on TV! Nope, not what we do all day. In fact, when you use those words, or attempt to "on-up" me with some random legal jargon I get really annoyed and tend to tune you out. I do not walk around all day objecting to things, or using the words wheretofor. I do not find it funny when you "Object" to my  opinions, questions, etc.. I don't walk around using jargon from your world. So, just stop.

And the last thing I want to talk about when I go out after work or on the weekends or any other time other than work is the law. I'm 30, I want to go out and let loose! But no... there you people are wanting to ask my stuff.  Don’t you think George Zimmerman was guilty?  They can’t charge someone with a crime if they don’t read them their rights, right?  You must love watching Law & Order, SVU, right?  The practice of law is little more than a source of entertainment to many people.  To me, its that thing I do every.single.day.

And, guess what? You probably  make more than I do. Yes, you sitting in the cubicle all day long. I know you think make six figure, well guess what? I don't! Nope, not close. No I work long hours and make less than you and owe a crap ton more on my loans. Oh and bonus? what's a bonus? Yes, there is potential, but I have to wait til years 7-9 to even know if I make partner and even then some of those first year partners have gone paycheckless at first. So, yeah when I tell you I'm broke I mean it.

And while we are on the subject, not all lawyers are lying scumbags. Yup, I know hard for you to believe that we don't all sit around thinking of people we can sue. Nope, me I defend people, businesses, etc.. I am rarely on the plaintiff side of things. Oh and that gets me too... I do civil law people, civil. I do not find people guilty or innocent, I represent the Defendant or Plaintiff, not the Prosecution or Defense... I deal in terms of liability, not guilt or innocence and my trials, well they occur years after the fact of the accident, incident, loss etc... Not days, weeks or months, YEARS people.

And last, but not least, I work hard. I do not sit around thinking of ways to bill my clients, or rack up hours. I actually I am afraid to bill sometimes. I know I should, but I find it hard to bill for that 2 minutes it took me to email you or Google the answer to your question. I try to do my best to work for my client in the least amount of time. I do not play golf instead of working, charge clients for fancy meals or drive a luxury vehicle at your expense. No, I still all day long banging out research, motions, discovery, letters for you. I deal with jackass opposing counsel, clients who do not understand that I have more than just their file and sometimes partners who expect me to juggle 12 balls at one time and do it all with a smile, perfectly coiffed hair and no typos or grammatical errors.

Yup, I'm lawyer, and my life is not so glamorous.

What Was I Thinking?

 

Yeah, so 5 years ago I decided law school was a good idea... what was I thinking? I was thinking: good salary, career, I'm good at this stuff, I want to be a courtroom, respectable.... I mean I watched TV and Legally Blonde... I could sooo do this...

And then I went to law school and news flash ** they lie to you! School is nothing like the practice of law. There are no right answers, no perfect on-point cases, no one uses the bluebook, judges don't weigh and balance the law.... 99% of the time its a crapshoot.

 

Your clients will lie to you, bend the truth, play hide the ball; opposing counsel will talk to you like you're a child and in general just be an a$$; you will have days you never sit down and days you fall asleep from boredom; judges will have asinine rules that require you to jump through tiny little hoops; you will copy & paste more times than you care to count; every 6 minutes of your life are accounted for; and you wonder why you care what you look like since no one ever sees you (aka buy a very comfortable office chair).

You will be a partner's go-to one day and dropped the next. You will write your heart out only to have it edited down to nothing. You will do exactly what you are asked to do and still be wrong. Clients will know your cell phone number and home address. They will love you and hate you, they will want your advice on everything, they are co-dependent!

Your personal life will suffer. You have nothing to talk about anymore other than work, or how bad work is, or why you hate work. Your law friends will be your only commiserates. People will envy your cool job, little do they know they make more than you and work less and have a life.

But.... then there's that 1% of the time when you do something great and you think, its not all that bad. (don't worry the moment will pass and you too will be in the kitchen scarfing down cupcake and whiskey to dull the a$$-chewing you will get later).

Yeah, what was I thinking? TGIF, I'm headed to the bar!

My Big Girl Lawyer Pants

Hi, my name is Lynn  and I am a lawyer. But today, I have to be big girl lawyer Lynn.

Yup, me taking my first depo all by myself (ok so the partner in charge will be 2 inches away). But still its all me! So.... things to know before your first depo:

• stand your ground
• silence is ok
• outline
• listen to the answers
• kill them kindness
• kill them with your firmness
• its ok to be a lil flippant
• trust your gut
• don't drink too much water and have to pee
• when in doubt, turn to the partner next to you and give him the look of fear

So, send me good vibes tomorrow as I put on my big girl lawyer pants and take these depos by the balls!

True Life: I'm a Lawyer

Yup, in case you missed it, I am the notorious lawyer. Butt of jokes, bain of some existence, hated by all, but loved when we're needed. I am constantly amazed at people's reactions when I tell them what I do. Most of them assume I make lots of money (umm myth) and keep people out of jail (wrong again).

So what do I do, well I am a civil litigator. I for the most part represent businesses in several aspects. Most of it involves lawsuits, but other times its simple business transactions. As much as I would love to say I spend days in the courtroom, I don't. I spend hours behind a monitor typing away at motions, discovery and other mundane and seemingly boring written documents. But, its an art.

I get to craft arguments, express creative notions through the beauty of the written word. You may not think it important, but a judge can spot the difference between some words on paper and a well-thought out argument. I ponder over word choice, sentence structure, and yes the placement of the comma. I rearrange sentences to not start with however, and I can spout off more than 5 ways to say "said." I have to follow more rules than a 5 year old in preschool just to file a motion and maneuver the editing tools in Word like a Geek-Squad employee.

I must be coiffed just so, but not just so to as offend a jury member. I am expected to look professional, but overboard to look like I make too much money. I have to have exquisite oral skills, but appeal to Joe Schmo from the sticks. I have to convey complex concepts to a panel of 12 people with an average 8th grade education all while making my client feel like I put forth my all. I am the quintessential mutli-tasker and jack of all trades.

I am a lawyer.*

*I drafted this at 6am and just now hit send because well I got busy drafting a zillion things and totally forgot about this.